Prison antennae to detect scams useless, Corrections says

The Maldives Correctional Service said on Wednesday that the antenna put up to stop scams run from the prison cannot be used due to legal issues.

Deputy Commissioner of Prisons (DCP) Ibrahim Mohamed Didi told the SOE Committee of Parliament on Wednesday that it was difficult for telecom operators to give the police verification of all numbers that go up to the antenna installed in Maafushi prison.

He said the antenna is still in use and the installation of the antenna provides network to some cells that did not get network before.

"Now the police will know about the numbers that hit the antenna. Any of our employees, even officers, will now use the number after giving it to the police. So now, it can be identified when it hits the antenna whether it's a prison staff or not”, he said.

Ibrahim added that he believes there is a possibility of scam calls rooting from the prison.

“The reason is that there is no prison in the world that is completely blocked so that phones and contraband cannot enter,” he said.

The DCP said he would never say that the smuggling of prohibited items into the jail could be stopped altogether.

"It is possible. It is also possible that it might continue to do so. However, we are shaping our efforts now to reduce the amount of contraband entering the prison, scan our officers more and we are trying to verify what enters the prison or is allowed," he said.

Compared to the previous year, the number of prohibited items entering the prison has been reduced significantly, he said.

An antenna has been installed at Maafushi Prison to solve the problem of inmates using their phones to make scam calls. The authorities have also taken several steps to prevent scams in collaboration with telecom operators.

Instead of the SIM being activated immediately when it is sold, it has been arranged that it will not be activated until Dhiraagu or Ooredoo receives the information of the person who bought the SIM card.