Timehri man caught with ganja hidden in slippers at Lusignan Prison

An attempt to smuggle contraband into the Guyana Prison Service’s (GPS) Lusignan Prison was foiled on Saturday morning after prison officers intercepted a visitor carrying cannabis hidden in his footwear. Timothy McGarrell of Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was arrested after officers conducting routine searches at the Lusignan facility, East Coast of Demerara (ECD) discovered a quantity of cannabis concealed under the soles of his slippers. According to prison officials, the discovery was made during a checkpoint search upon his arrival at the prison. The narcotics were confiscated, and McGarrell was taken into custody before being handed over to the police. He is expected to be charged for trafficking prohibited items into a correctional facility. Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot, commended the ranks on duty for their vigilance, noting that ongoing efforts to strengthen internal security are yielding results.

He also issued a stern warning to members of the public against attempting to traffic contraband into prison facilities, emphasising that such actions will be detected and prosecuted. The latest incident comes just days after a similar smuggling attempt was thwarted at the New Amsterdam Prison. An 18-year-old woman from Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice, was arrested after she was found with three parcels of cannabis concealed inside two men’s Gillette deodorant containers wrapped in a black plastic bag in her handbag. The drugs were uncovered during a routine search by prison officers. The matter was addressed during the first 2026 episode of Prisons in Focus, the monthly televised programme of the GPS, where senior officials cautioned the public against facilitating illegal activity within prison walls. Assistant Director of Prisons, Olivia Cox, said the Service has noted significant public commentary following the recent arrests, particularly from individuals claiming ignorance about the contents of items they were asked to deliver.
“Just like your relatives will tell you when you’re going to the airport — do not hold anything, do not take anything from anyone,” Cox stated during the programme.
She explained that in several cases, individuals claim they were simply assisting friends or relatives by delivering packages, only to discover too late that the items contained prohibited substances. “In their mind, they’re assisting and so they come, bring it, just go with your ID card, drop it and tell them the prisoner’s name, and so when the items are searched, they’re caught,” she said. Cox warned that persons who knowingly attempt to smuggle contraband risk facing imprisonment themselves. “You’re only going to put yourself behind bars with those persons. You’re no good being behind bars with them,” she cautioned. Assistant Superintendent of Prisons and Head of Prison Training, Abeid Dikuna, reinforced the warning, urging members of the public not to enable negative behaviours among inmates. “Do not, under any circumstances, empower those negative changes,” Dikuna said, adding that the Service maintains multiple layers of security screening at its facilities. “We have multiple layers of security that persons who are visiting the prison must pass through. And anything illegal will be found,” he stressed. Prison officials have reiterated their appeal to members of the public to refrain from accepting packages from third parties and to verify the contents of any items before attempting to deliver them to correctional institutions.