A former prison officer is among five men sentenced for a plot to supply cannabis into jail.
A drugs dog indicated at the staff member during a routine search in August 2019. He admitted the Class B drug was in his car ready to be stuffed into his trousers and walked inside.
Sure enough, a search of the car revealed two blocks of resin wrapped in clingfilm, weighing just under 200g, in the glove box. More of the same was discovered at his home, within a bedside table, as well as just under 100g already hidden in a cell at the prison.
Further enquiries by EMSOU found he had been paid nearly £4,000 to bring cannabis to an inmate.
The prisoner’s friend on the outside was involved in collecting the drug from another in Liverpool, and another man was found to be involved in the bank transfers.
All five men, who had previously pleaded guilty to their involvement, were sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Friday 8 October.
EMSOU’s Regional Prisons Intelligence Detective Inspector Dan Evans said: “On the street, this haul was worth just over £3,055, but behind bars drugs are much more valuable. We estimated these men could have made in excess of £30,000 from the blocks we seized. And not just that, the rivalry that can come from the vying for such illicit commodities by inmates can have serious repercussions for the stability of the prison environment.
“What began as a means of paying off debt by bringing a bit of tobacco into the prison – a crime in itself – quickly spiralled down a slippery slope into drug trafficking. As an employee, he has breached trust and compromised the safety of his colleagues and those they are tasked with managing.”
Police will now make efforts to seize any criminal gains made though this illicit operation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.