900 dangerous weapons seized in prisons in 2013

Over 900 lethal weapons were seized from prisoners serving time in Irish jails last year. Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that 914 weapons were recovered by prison officers during searches of inmates in the State’s 14 jails during 2013.

The number represents a fall from the 1,126 weapons that were seized from prisoners the previous year.

The most commonly seized weapons were makeshift daggers, which are fashioned from blades or sharpened objects attached to a small handle made from a toothbrush or pen. More than 800 mobile phones were also confiscated from prisoners during raids by prison officers in 2013.