Prison officers arrested in drugs ring swoop
The prison officers are suspected of having links with a criminal family based in the Midlands. Gardaí are also investigating the possibility that one or more of them deliberately applied for a job in the Prison Service in order to develop a market for the gang.
It’s understood the Midlands gang is run by a major dealer with a sophisticated distribution network.
Yesterday’s operation by detectives from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation followed the arrests a couple of months ago of prison officers involved in the same drugs ring. No more arrests are expected as part of this operation.
The five men were arrested in Kildare, Laois and Dublin, as part of an investigation into the possession and distribution of illicit drugs at Midland and Wheatfield prisons.
Garda sources yesterday said the operation was primarily focused on Wheatfield Prison, in Clondalkin, west Dublin.
The four prison officers arrested yesterday worked in Wheatfield, but lived mainly in the Midlands.
They are thought to have only been in the Prison Service for a relatively short period of time.
It is understood the drugs being supplied were cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine.
“This was a big money-spinner for the prison officers. It was ideal for them, they had a captive market,” said a garda source.
Wheatfield is a closed, medium-security prison for male offenders on remand and serving sentences up to life. Gardaí said prison authorities were now fully aware of what was going on in Wheatfield and were addressing the matter.
The five men were being detained last night at garda stations in Dublin and Kildare under the Drug Trafficking Act. They can be held for a maximum of seven days.
They are not expected to be charged immediately, and gardaí are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Prison sources were yesterday shocked by the arrests, saying they raised questions about prison security and the vetting of applicants.
While people with criminal records are barred from entering the service, there is no comprehensive background check, and there is no system for searching prison officers entering a jail.
There was no comment yesterday from the Prison Service.
