Prison phone racket exposed

How are hundreds of mobile phones, SIM cards, and cannabis finding their way into Malawi’s prisons?

The Malawi Prison Service says it has confiscated more than 500 mobile phones, 1,000 SIM cards, and 5kg of cannabis from prisons across the country.

The seizures followed the introduction of advanced scanning machines at Zomba Central Prison, according to Malawi Prison Service spokesperson Steven Meke.

Meke said the scanners were introduced under a pilot initiative launched in 2025 in partnership with the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA).

The initiative aims to stop fraud, scams, and other crimes allegedly carried out from inside prisons using mobile phones.

Meke said the new technology, together with other security measures, is helping authorities to detect prohibited items and improve security in prisons.

He added that the measures are also helping to create a safer environment for the reformation and rehabilitation of offenders.

The programme was initially piloted at Zomba Central Prison before the prison service strengthened efforts to deal with prohibited items and phone-related crimes in other facilities.

The Malawi Prison Service says it will continue strengthening security measures to prevent prohibited items from entering prisons and to support the rehabilitation of inmates.