Contrabands seized in Quezon City jail

FILE: Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) (PNA photo)

MANILA — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) has confiscated prohibited materials inside the Quezon City jail during the conduct of “Oplan Greyhound” on Wednesday.

The BJMP is an attached agency of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Newly-installed Quezon City Jail Warden Supt. Ermilito Moral said the joint operation “Oplan Greyhound” is composed of city jail personnel and BJMP-National Capital Region (NCR) Star Team headed by Supt. Silas Laurio.

Oplan Greyhound aims to ensure that the jail upholds the high standards for the prevention of entry, use and movement of contraband within the jail premises to protect the public, visitors, employees and inmates.

The DILG noted that Oplan Greyhound in Quezon City is similar to Oplan Galugad conducted at the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, which is designed to confiscate firearms, illegal drugs and other banned items.

“Here in Quezon city Jail, we only confiscated minor prohibited contrabands,” Moral said.

Among the items seized during the operation were cellphones, chargers, improvised knives, ice picks, improvised water heater, curtains, cigarettes, lighter and other miscellaneous items considered as contrabands.

Moral added that Oplan Greyhound was in response to the orders of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, DILG Officer-in-Charge Catalino Cuy and BJMP Officer-in-Charge Chief Supt. Diogracias Tapayan to intensify the bureau’s stance against irregularities in jails particularly on illegal drugs and contrabands.

“We will conduct Oplan Greyhound regularly to rid the jails of illegal drugs and contrabands,” Moral said.

The Quezon City jail is currently overcrowded with more than 3,000 inmates. (PNA)