An inmate at the medium-security Matsqui prison in Abbotsford was caught with a package of marijuana and tobacco that was worth $5,700 after he met with someone in the facility’s visit and correspondence area, the institution said Friday.
The offender was leaving the visits area at about 8 p.m. on Tuesday when staff became suspicious that something had been passed to him.
“The inmate was searched and was found after that visit to have a package of contraband,” Tanner said.
The facility has both ion scanners and drug-detector dogs to prevent substances from entering the prison.
Ion scanners test visitors to the institution for trace amounts of drugs.
A visit may be denied if those scanners detect something.
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However, the scanners can be bypassed on occasion when people hide substances in toothpaste or condoms.
Tanner said he didn’t think a drug detector dog was used in this instance.
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It’s not certain how the package managed to enter the prison in the first place. Matsqui officials are investigating what happened.
The amount of drugs seized wasn’t much — there were seven cigarettes and three packages of marijuana.
The $5,700 reflect the “prison value” of the drugs, not their street value, Tanner said.
“In a jail, a factory cigarette with inmates could sell for $100,” he added.
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