B.C. prison officials seize $300K in drugs, cellphones from medium-security prison
The Mission Correctional Institution in Mission, B.C. is pictured Tuesday, April 14, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Prison officials in British Columbia have seized a large cache of contraband, including methamphetamine and other drugs, at a medium-security prison in the Fraser Valley.
The Correctional Service of Canada estimates the institutional value of the seized items, which also included two cellphones and accessories, at $298,310.
The contraband was found at Mission Institution on March 17, corrections officials announced in a news release Tuesday.
Local police have been contacted about the find and prison officials are investigating, according to the correctional service.
What is 'institutional value?'
The federal agency says the institutional value of seized contraband is based on a number of factors, though the value of items seized inside prisons is always higher than their value in the outside community.
"The institutional monetary value of these items is based on multiple factors, but is primarily determined through intelligence information collected at the site once the items are seized," Correctional Service of Canada spokesperson Lucinda Fraser said in an emailed statement to CTV News last month.
"Each institution's values will vary, as they depend on the regional or local jurisdiction's trends, including drug prices (if drugs were seized), as well as an institution's security level," Fraser added. "This means that values can change on a regular basis."
The agency says it uses a variety of tools to prevent drugs from being smuggled into its prisons, including ion scanners and drug-detecting dogs to search buildings, personal property, inmates, and visitors.
The agency has said for months that it is "heightening measures to prevent contraband from entering its institutions" in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone.
Corrections officials maintain a telephone tip line for the public to report incidents of smuggling, drug use or other security concerns at all federal prisons. Tipsters can call the anonymous line toll-free at 1-866-780-3784.
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