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Prison officer in Central West facility faces charges over tobacco
Dec 29, 2018WELLINGTON, Central West, NSW, Australia – A NSW Corrective Services officer has been charged with bringing contraband into a correction facility in Central Western NSW.
Earlier this month, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Corrective Services Investigation Unit established Strike Force Balanada to investigate how contraband was getting into the Wellington Correctional Centre.
Strike force detectives identified suspicious activity being conducted by a male corrections officer.
Following extensive inquiries, investigators arrested a 35-year-old man on Thursday.
The man, who is a NSW Corrective Services employee, was taken to Wellington Police Station and charged with two counts of receiving a corrupt benefit and five counts of supplying contraband to inmates.
Police will allege in court that the man trafficked tobacco into Wellington Correctional Centre on five occasions in return for financial reward from two inmates.
He has been granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Wellington Local Court on 19 February 2019.
The man was also notified his employment with Corrective Services NSW has been suspended.
Investigations under Strike Force Balanada are continuing.
