'Oplan Galugad' yields cache of contraband

MANILA, Philippines - Another surprise raid at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City by authorities of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Saturday morning yielded a cache of contraband items that included two guns and a radio-controlled toy helicopter.

Msgr. Roberto “Bobby” Olaguer NBP spokesman said the surprise search which is part of the BuCor’s “Oplan Galugad” was done from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and targeted NBP’s Dormitory Building 9 and Dormitory Building 14. Dormitory Building 9 houses inmates who are members of the Sputnik Gang.

According to Olaguer, aside from the caliber .38 revolver, a caliber .45 pistol and the toy helicopter, the surprise search at Dormitory Building 9 also yielded old television sets, several mobile phones, mobile phone signal boosters and even containers filled with “tuba” or coconut wine.

“The tuba is probably meant for Christmas,” said Olaguer.

The search at Dormitory Building 14 meanwhile yielded several mobile phones and a wi-fi router, Olaguer said.

Olaguer said the surprise searches of the different NBP dormitories for contraband items, is a regular activity of the BuCor to complement the random frisking of inmates.

An “Oplan Galugad” search last November 11 of several dormitories at the NBP’s maximum security compound yielded television sets, refrigerators, bladed weapons, cell phones and other contraband.

BuCor Director Ricardo Rainier Cruz III had earlier ordered the continuing surprise searches to confiscate weapons and other illegal items that are being smuggled into the prison.

A previous surprise search done earlier this month at the dormitory of Commando and Sigue-Sigue Sputnik gangs led to the seizure of a large cache of firearms that was found buried in one of the detention cells.

The prison guards also seized cell phones, television sets, air conditioning units and even sex toys from the cells during the search.

“The sweeping operation will continue until we clear the maximum security compound of guns, illegal drugs and other contraband,” Schwarzkopf said.

Former justice secretary Leila de Lima initiated the search of the NBP prison cells last year and discovered various illegal items including guns, appliances and illegal drugs.

The raid prompted De Lima to order the transfer of 19 high-value inmates to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) jail in Manila.

The inmates were returned to the NBP recently after a new high security facility with separate cells was completed.

More than 50 high-value inmates who include convicted drug lords and murderers are detained in the prison.

At least 14,000 convicts are detained in the nine-hectare NBP compound.