Shotts prison staff being 'offered thousands' to smuggle phones inside

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Claims have been made that organised crime gang members are offering prison officers up to £3000 to smuggle iPhones into jail.

The sum is the equivalent of almost two months' wages and 30 times the price of some second-hand devices.An officer's basic pay within the Scottish Prison Service is around £22,000 per year.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android It is thought gangsters are hoping the cost of living crisis will make prison staff more vulnerable to taking risks.An officer in high-security Shotts Prison in Lanarkshire told friends he turned down the offer to take in a handset.It came after dozens of iPhones were discovered during a massive security sweep.One source said: "There's a lot of prisoners still involved in organised crime with access to this kind of money."It's worth spending £3000 if they can get a phone that allows them to speak to their cronies unmonitored."One staff member turned the offer down.

They didn't say who it came from, but it shows how desperate some inmates are to stay in touch with their criminal pals."There is a fear that some more vulnerable members of staff will find it difficult to turn down this kind of money."The price of day-to-day living is going up all the time just now and there will be some staff members prepared to take this risk."Wealthy kingpins target