A huge haul of phones was found in magnetised toolboxes stuck under a prison van outside a Galway courthouse.
Our pictures show the desperate method criminals in Galway used when prison officers discovered the boxes stuck to the bottom of an escort van on Thursday.
The discovery was made when someone caught a criminal in the act – observing them sticking the boxes under the vehicle belonging to the Irish Prison Service’s Escort Corps.
The van, which was parked outside Galway courthouse, was bound for Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon, where a criminal gang had hoped the illegal phones would end up.
It is understood two toolboxes containing a large quantity of tiny mobile phones, SIM cards and chargers were discovered stuck to the bottom of the prison van with magnets.
Sources say that although the method seems sophisticated, it in fact shows the level of desperation criminal gangs are going through – thanks to the successful counter measures against drones.
“They’re going back to the old methods now because the drones aren’t working,” a source said.
“The newly installed nets are stopping more and more drones from getting contraband in so now they’re relying on methods like this to try and get the stuff in.”
Gardai have since seized the phones and are working with the Irish Prison Service (IPS) to identify the culprits.
In a statement the IPS told the Irish Mirror that it continues to have “high level engagement and the sharing of intelligence with An Garda Síochána on a regular basis which is resulting in the seizure of contraband, arrests and significant disruption to organised crime involved in smuggling contraband into Irish Prisons.”
They added: “An Garda Síochána continues to support the Irish Prison Service operationally with ongoing operations in each relevant Garda Division, including Operation Throwover which is supporting the Irish Prison Service at Prisons nationwide. Operations such as Operation Throwover are intended to disrupt, interdict and prosecute attempts to introduce contraband into prisons.”
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