The use of sniffer dogs to uncover drugs in Northern Ireland prisons has been extended, it was revealed today.
Inmates returning to Maghaberry and Magilligan prisons from home leave and court appearances are being checked by passive drug dogs.
The dogs were initially introduced to check on visitors to inmates.
The Prison Service acted after the Board of Visitors annual report - published today - recommended the expansion of the use of the drug dogs at Maghaberry because of the "continued prevalence of drugs within the prison".
Robin Masefield, director general of the Prison Service, said the passive drug dogs had been successfully deployed to reception in an attempt to address concerns over the trafficking of drugs.
"It is clear that some inmates are being put under pressure to smuggle drugs back into the prison and it is vital that this issue is addressed," he said.
At Magilligan three passive drug dogs are currently undergoing training and should be added to the current team of two part-time dogs by the end of the month.
Once they are in place the use of the dogs will be extended to including significant prisoner movements within the jail - such as between cells and the gym and education blocks.
Extra funding has also been allocated to the laboratory-based drug testing programme after the Prison Service Management Board approved the introduction of mandatory drug testing.
Last month an inquest into the death of INLA killer Neil Sheridan from ecstasy poisoning in Magilligan was told by a prison officer that drugs had become "part of prison culture".
He said drugs were smuggled in either by inmates returning from parole or by visitors.
PA