The head of a prison guards' union is not surprised by an alleged drug ring at Auckland's maximum-security prison at Paremoremo.
More than a dozen prisoners have been charged after 18 months of police investigations into claims that a methamphetamine importing and manufacturing operation was run from Auckland maximum security prison at Paremoremo.
Beven Hanlon, president of the Corrections Association says cellphone technology is being used to circumvent police systems.
"This could be happening in any prison where prisoners can get hold of cellphones," he told Radio New Zealand.
"Auckland Prison itself is actually a relatively easy prison to smuggle things into and that's what I'm saying about - it's a maximum security prison and we should treat it as such and we don't have those policies and practices in place at the moment and the sooner we do, the sooner we'll stop this sort of thing."
The practices could include non-contact visits which will make it harder to smuggle contraband into prisons.
All the accused have denied the charges at their appearances in North Shore and Waitakere District Courts.
The Herald on Sunday reported that the police summary of facts alleged that one prisoner, who cannot be named, illicitly connected to the internet and organised the banking and investment of drug profits.
It was claimed some of the accused arranged the importing of methamphetamine precursors from China, and that accused prisoners organised associates to manufacture them into P.
A depositions hearing to decide whether the accused have a case to answer is expected later this year.
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