Cleaner charged for smuggling SIM cards into prison

…granted $50,000 bail

A 29-year-old woman, who works as a school cleaner, is now before the courts after allegedly trying to smuggle SIM cards into the Camp Street Prison for an inmate.
Shevaghn Samuels of Hogg Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, was arrested on Monday morning after prison officers found nine SIM cards hidden inside a Colgate toothpaste tube during a standard search of items taken for inmates. The incident reportedly occurred around 09:15 during a routine drop-off for inmate Ray Smith.

Following the discovery, Samuels was handed over to the police and later charged with introducing prohibited articles into a prison, an offence she answered to on Wednesday before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
In court, Samuels entered a guilty plea with an explanation, telling the magistrate she was unaware that the bag she delivered contained contraband. She claimed that a woman named Shaneeza Smith, whom she knows personally, had contacted her earlier that morning and asked if she could deliver a package to the prison. According to Samuels, since she was already en route to work, she agreed to do the favour, unaware of what was inside the bag.
She claimed she followed instructions and took the bag to the prison drop-off area. Moments later, she was informed that contraband had been found and was taken into custody.
The court also heard that Samuels is employed as a cleaner at a top secondary school in Georgetown and is the mother of four children, the youngest being just one year old. She shared her distress over the arrest, telling the court that she was unsure whether she would be allowed to continue her job. “I didn’t know what was inside,” she reportedly said.
Magistrate McGusty acknowledged the seriousness of the charge and advised her to cooperate with investigators by providing information on the person who gave her the bag and encouraged her to speak with her employer about the possibility of resuming work.
Samuels was granted $50,000 bail, and the matter was adjourned to July 23.
The incident prompted a stern reminder from Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot, who emphasised that smuggling contraband into correctional facilities is a dangerous and punishable offence. He noted that such acts compromise the security of the prison and endanger the lives of both inmates and staff, warning that individuals who attempt to undermine the system will face the full force of the law.