Naples – A new seizure inside the Poggioreale prison has brought to light the phenomenon of cell phones and drugs being smuggled into penitentiaries. Prison police officers conducted a raid on the Livorno prison unit, uncovering a significant amount of illicit material.
At the end of the checks, 15 cell phones were seized, including 13 smartphones and two handsets, as well as more than half a kilogram of hashish.
Fifteen phones discovered during checks
The operation is part of the daily surveillance activities carried out by officers within the Neapolitan institution. The discovery of the telephone devices is particularly significant due to the possibility that they were used for unauthorized communications with the outside world.
The importance of this result was emphasized by the USPP, which expressed its appreciation for the intervention and the work carried out by the Penitentiary Police staff.
"Every seized phone interrupts an illicit channel."
USPP President Giuseppe Moretti and Regional Secretary Ciro Auricchio highlighted the officers' commitment to ensuring daily order and security within the prison.
"Every seized phone," union representatives emphasize, "is an illicit channel taken away from criminals. It means cutting off communications with the outside world."
For the union, however, enforcement cannot be entrusted solely to the efforts of operators.
The USPP raises the alarm: "200 officers are needed."
The USPP therefore once again calls for increased staffing and more technological tools to combat the entry of cell phones and other illicit material into penitentiary facilities.
"The selflessness of the Penitentiary Police cannot replace state investment," Moretti and Auricchio affirm, noting that Poggioreale is short about 200 officers.
The union therefore calls for an increase in staffing, control systems, and technological equipment. The goal, it emphasizes, is to enable staff to adequately address the new forms of illicit communication that may arise within prisons.
