Khao Bin search turns up more objects

Officials find cellphone buried in a wall said to be blind spot for signal jammer

In an impromptu raid on cells in Ratchaburi's Khao Bin Prison yesterday, officials found many prohibited items including a mobile phone hidden inside a wall, which is a blind spot for the prison's signal-jamming device.

Despite conducting previous searches to clear cells of banned materials before the arrival of another 200 inmates, the 300-strong force launched another early yesterday - this time with three sniffer dogs.

The raid, led by Ratchaburi Governor Chonchuen Boonyanusat, was conducted in Zone 5, which has 900 detainees facing sentences of 30 years and above. Though no drugs were found, the search team discovered 800 cigarette packets, pornographic magazines, cellphone chargers, gambling tools and spikes made from everyday objects.

Officials also found a Nokia phone embedded in a wall on the third |floor. The phone, which had a SIM card, could be used because that |particular area is a blind spot for |the signal-jamming device. Officials |plan to look for other blind spots |within the premises and check on all outgoing numbers to see who called out and for what purpose.

Thanawee Prawat, chief of the Khao Bin Prison, said fewer banned items were discovered this time than in earlier raids.

SNIFFING FOR PROHIBITED ITEMS

Meanwhile, in Bangkok's Bang Bon district, a 600-strong force armed with sniffer dogs searched the Thonburi Remand Prison's six zones at 6am yesterday and found 150 prohibited objects including razors, scissors, cigarettes, porn magazines and gambling tools, as well as an MP3 player and an iPhone charger. This prison houses about 5,354 inmates.

Thonburi Remand Prison chief Ayuth Sintoppant said the charger suggested that an iPhone might have been smuggled in or was on its way.

He said prison officials would start conducting strict searches of visiting relatives as well as launch impromptu searches every month to keep the facility free of drugs and banned items.

In Angthong province, a 70-strong force raided male prisoners' cells on Thursday night and discovered 23 mobile phones, dozens of chargers, some spikes made from everyday objects, three ya ba tablets and 4 grams of crystal methamphetamine.

In related news, border police in Sa Kaew's Aranyaphrathet district arrested a 22-year-old man named Sayan Somsri early yesterday for allegedly having 987 ya ba tablets and 3 grams of crystal meth in his possession. They said the drugs were hidden inside a milk carton that Sayan was pretending to drink from while riding a motorcycle.