THE Fiji Corrections Service is baffled at the ongoing discovery of contraband on inmates.
FCS spokeswoman Ana Tamani said they continued to discover items such as tobacco, mobile phones, sim cards and chargers.
She confirmed that their latest discovery was the result of a search at the Suva Corrections Centre and the four institutions at Naboro — maximum, medium, minimum and prerelease centre.
"Carrying out searches of inmates is part of our normal operations," she said.
Mrs Tamani said under orders from FCS Commissioner Colonel Ifereimi Vasu, the search of inmates would be conducted to ensure the security of the prisons by preventing inmates from having weapons and other dangerous items, detecting possible escape attempts and breaches of security.
"We have established that most of these contraband are brought in by visitors and this is a concern."
Mrs Tamani said people must realise that when contraband were found on inmates, their privileges would be taken away from them.
"This does not help the situation — on one hand we are trying to rehabilitate inmates, on the other, their friends (visitors) are allowing them to break prison rules," she said.