Over 100 cellphones and numerous bank cards discovered in the Remand Section during the Pollsmoor raid on Wednesday, 17 July 2025. Image: Smile FM.
(The Post News)– In Pollsmoor Prison, a surprise raid conducted on Wednesday night revealed serious security breaches, as authorities discovered 119 cellphones and large amounts of dagga, pills, and sharp objects.
The operation, led by Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale, forms part of a broader national effort to dismantle criminal networks operating from within South Africa’s prisons. “We are cutting their communication with the outside world,” Thobakgale said, highlighting that disrupting these connections is key to weakening these networks and reducing their influence over other inmates.
According to Smile FM, one of the confiscated cellphones contained WhatsApp messages linking an inmate to an alleged gang member outside the prison. Further highlighting the level and scale of coordination between inmates and criminal groups beyond the prison walls, as Thobakgale observed.
During the Pollsmoor raid, over 800 inmates were searched. Besides cellphones, officials also found 74 cellphone chargers, 50 cable chargers, 41 cellphone batteries, 34 SIM cards, 81 sharp objects, 37 dagga pipes, 305 packets of dagga (854.80 grams), approximately 50 grams of mandrax tablets (36), 34 grams of tik, and R363.60 in cash.
Thobakgale has acknowledged that corrupt officials also play a big role, as they enable prisoners by helping them smuggle and hide these cellphones and drugs. Therefore, he has encouraged regular search operations and has warned that enabling prisoners undermines institutional security, rehabilitation efforts, and public safety.
The Department of Correctional Services intends to continue search operations in correctional facilities and tighten internal security. They will keep focusing on hotspot areas within the facilities, such as the Remand Section—a section in Pollsmoor prison where the majority of the contraband was discovered.
This latest Pollsmoor raid is meant to send one message: “Contraband has no place in our correctional centers, and the department will continue to act decisively to protect the integrity of the correctional system,” said the department.
journalist-lukhona@thepostnews.net
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