Sniffer dogs have been sent into Northern Ireland's top security prison to crackdown on the smuggling of drugs to inmates, it was announced today.
In the first fortnight the dogs have detected the scent of drugs on about 5 per cent of visitors to Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim.
On average there are more than 800 visits a week to the 517 prisoners at the jail and between November 20th and December 4th, the four dogs made 84 indications of the presence of drugs, according to the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
The two labrador and two springer spaniels sit down in front of anyone they sense the scent of drugs on to alert their handlers.
Those suspected of carrying drugs are not searched, not arrested, instead they are simply refused their visit and are not handed over to police.
A Prison Service spokeswoman said the visitor may not be carrying drugs into the prison but may have got the scent on their clothes by sitting next to someone who had drugs.
In the near future, a suspect visitor will not even be turned away but offered a "closed visit" meaning they and the inmate are kept from apart by screens.
But UUP Assembly Member Mr Jeffrey Donaldson said the police should become involved when a visitor was suspected of trying to carry drugs into the jail.
PA