POLICE are seeking legal advice in the case involving a chief prison officer accused of facilitating the smuggling of contraband into the Timehri Prison, Commander of ‘A’ Division, Marlon Chapman, has confirmed.

Reports indicate the officer was arrested after a search was conducted at the Timehri Prison Thursday during which a quantity of drugs and mobile phones were recovered.

It is alleged that the prison officer has been facilitating the smuggling of contraband into the prison, which is against the prison laws chapter 11:01.

The prison officer was reportedly rewarded financially for each pass that occurred within the prison confines.

On Thursday, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) launched an investigation into the discovery of a quantity of drugs, cell phones and other items found at the Timehri and New Amsterdam Prisons.

At the Timehri Prison, Samuels said a prison officer is at the center of the investigation, as a prisoner had indicated that a “prison staff took pay for the items to pass during a visit”.

“The discovery has caused the owner much pain and he is talking about killing prison officers. The police were called in to investigate,” the director noted.

Between 09:40-12:30hrs, ranks of the Joint Services conducted a thorough search of the cells at the said Timehri Prison and a number of prohibited items were found.

These are eight lighters, seven smoking utensils, 16 improvised weapons, eight packs of cigarettes, two dining forks, two pairs of scissors, five cell phone chargers, one bottle pepper sauce, three cellular phones, one tattoo machine, a quantity of tobacco and 305 grams of cannabis.

A similar search was also conducted on Thursday at the New Amsterdam Prison under the direction of Deputy Commander ‘B’ Division, Senior Superintendent E Cooper, who was accompanied by 20 police ranks and seven prison officers.

Two dorms, two landings and cells were searched and eight cellular phones, three cellular phone batteries, one cellular phone display, three earphones, five cellular phone chargers, 16 cigarette lighters, two tattoo machines, five improvised weapons, 20 packs cigarettes and three grams of cannabis were found.