Fana F.S. Putra, Jakarta – Indonesian prison officials destroyed hundreds of mobile phones and other contraband items confiscated from inmates in detention facilities across the capital on Friday.
At least 213 mobile phones were destroyed along with 19 weapons and two laptop computers.
"We've also eliminated 65 cellphone chargers, a stove, a power bank, an internet modem, two televisions, a DVD player and a music box," director general Handoyo Sudrajat said as the items were being destroyed in Cipinang, East Jakarta, on Friday.
However, not all mobile phones confiscated were destroyed, Handoyo said. Some have been handed over to other law enforcement bodies, such as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the National Anti-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) for further investigation.
"This is to gather conversation data sent through the [mobile phones]," Handoyo said.
The sheer amount of contraband confiscated from the Cipinang Prison, the Pondok Bambu Prison and the detention center in Salemba suggests alarmingly lax law enforcement in prisons across Indonesia.
Handoyo said the Justice ministry's prisons directorate is understaffed, under-trained and under-equipped to prevent contraband entering the prison.
"We have 160,000 inmates in prisons and detention facilities across Indonesia." "A single officer has to monitor 45 inmates," he said, adding that even the better-equipped and trained KPK faces similar problems.
"At the KPK detention center, which hosts only a few dozen prisoners, you can still find prisoners stashing cash and cellphones."
Handoyo said his office has proposed the Justice and Human Rights Ministry equip prisons with x-ray scanners to intercept contraband from next year.
The director general said that bribery also plays a large part in the flow of contraband into prisons, and that his office has previously punished complicit corrections officers, but did not mention any punishments meted out in the recent shakedown.