SEVERAL sharp objects, DVD players, spoons and forks were confiscated from the detainees during the three-hour greyhound operation in the Lapu-Lapu City Jail (LCJ) yesterday dawn.
Members of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) 7, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 did not find any illegal drugs when they conducted the operation.
These inmates were facing cases related to illegal drugs.
Jail Supt. Gil Inopia, the new warden of the LCJ, said there were 755 inmates that were asked to go out of their detention cells.
There were 60 police personnel, eight members of PDEA 7 and 14 personnel of the Special Tactics and Response of the BJMP that conducted the greyhound operation.
Detainees were told not to bring anything and were only wearing shorts when they went out from their cells.
Operation
The greyhound operation started at 1:45 a.m. and ended at 4:45 a.m.
Inopia said the operation supposedly would include the detainees in the city jail, but they instead just inspected the building where all the detainees charged with drug-related cases due to time constraint.
“Pure drug cases ang sulod lang sa building. Gi-segregate na namo. Mao sad na ang direktiba sa Manila (We segregate the detainees according to their cases. That is the direction of our central office in Manila),” Inopia said.
Other items that were found in the detention cells were improvised hammer, needle-nose pliers, nails, stick, bottles, combs, nail cutters, ice pick, knives, lighters and medicines.
After the operation, JO1 Rodelino Obaob of the LCJ said the contraband were turned over to the property custodian.
Scarce
Since there were no prohibited substances found, Inopia, who assumed as the new LCJ jail warden last Sept. 1, said they can say that illegal drugs were rarely brought inside the city jail.
“Makaingon ta ing-ana. Gawas sa nadungog nato nga mahal na ang supply, di na sila ka basta-basta makakuha sa gawas (We can say that. Aside from the fact that the supply is getting more expensive, they could no longer get them from outside),” Inopia said.
He said the inmates also feared that what happened to the Cebu City Jail greyhound operation last month might also happen.
Several cash and coins were confiscated from the inmates of the Cebu City Jail.
Inopia added that they will continue to hold this kind of operation to prevent any illegal drugs from getting inside the city jail.
