Unable to make proper use of antenna placed in Maafushi to stop scams: Corrections

Maldives Correctional Service has said that so far it has been difficult to make proper use of the antenna that was placed in Maafushi in a bid to bring a stop to scams.

Speaking at the parliament's Committee on State Owned Enterprises, Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Ibrahim Mohamed Didi noted that Police, Telecommunications Authority and Prisons have undertaken many efforts in a bid to control scams.

It was under these efforts that an antenna was placed in Maafushi Prison, but he said they had been unable to make adequate use of it so far.

Ibrahim said that both telecom providers Ooredoo and Dhiraagu have said that it is difficult for them to disclose numbers that hit the antenna due to legal issues.

"What Ooredoo and Dhiraagu both raised is that due to there being legal issues, they are unable to give the verification of all the numbers that hit that antenna to police," he said.

Ibrahim said that with the placing of the antenna, some cells in the prison which previously did not receive mobile range and now receiving range.

"So it the police who will know whether they get the numbers that hit this antenna. All our officers and staff will now use numbers that have been given to the Police. If the numbers hit the antenna, they will be able to tell whether it is a number used by a staff or not," he said.

Ibrahim said that there still remains a possibility that scam calls continue to come from within prison, adding that such things had not been brought to a complete halt at any prison.

"We are also working to minimize the amount of contraband that makes it into prison. We will at no time say that we can bring a complete stop to the smuggling of contraband into prison," he said.

In efforts to minimize smuggling of contraband, Ibrahim said that officers are properly scanned now, with inspection of what is allowed inside the prison's premises.

While Maafushi Prison is the origin of many scams, Police have earlier said that their investigations revealed that a number of prison guards had colluded with prisoners to run large scale scams.

In a recent operation run at Maafushi Prison, 13 prison officers were arrested.