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Pollsmoor Correctional Centre
Prison authorities have last night conducted a raid for contraband at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre outside Cape Town, in what officials say is part of nationwide targeted operations.
The National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale led the crackdown, which he says is aimed at rooting out criminal networks and their influence.
Prison authorities have conducted a raid at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre in what they say is part of nationwide targeted operations. Officials say after searching 398 inmates in 12 prison cells, cellphones, dagga and cash were some of the contraband confiscated. #SABCNEWS
— rhulani baloyi (@rhulani1baloyi) July 17, 2025
After searching 398 inmates in 12 prison cells, cellphones, dagga and cash were some of the contrabands confiscated. The search was to continue through the night.
Thobakgale says, “In as much as we are continuing with a national search campaign to raid, we don’t just do that for the sake of doing it, we are doing it because there is a specific focus that we are putting, especially on inmates that are inmates of interest. We are cutting their networks. We are cutting their communication with the outside world. We are also cutting their influence on other inmates within our facilities.
“That’s the only way we can make it a point that when they are inside, they don’t continue to interrupt rehabilitation and correctional programs. They don’t continue to disturb the peace that we supposed to have in correctional facilities, now if you go back to the story of dagga you can see there’s a thriving business here and the activities we are involved in, the search and seizure of this obviously will interrupt the business but the aim is to stop this type of transactions from taking place in our correctional facilities,” the Commissioner explains.
Raid under way at Westville Prison: Jayed Paulse reports
