Commissioner of Prisons: Jammers aren’t producing results, creating public nuisance instead

Installing jammers in prisons to stop scam calls by inmates aren’t producing results, and are creating a nuisance for nearby residents instead, states Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu.

He made the comment during a joint press conference by the Home Ministry, Maldives Police Service and Maldives Correctional Service on Wednesday morning.

Speaking to press, Ahmed said Maldives Correctional Service has engaged in numerous efforts to stop the smuggle of contraband such as phones into prisons, one of which was to install jammers in prisons to stop scam calls.

“But we found it wasn’t producing results. We found it was jamming the network for people living in residences surrounding the prisons, and neighboring islands and resorts,” he said.

Ahmed said Maldives Correctional Service has engaged in discussions with relevant authorities regarding resolving the issue, including network service providers and the police.

“We have put up a designated tower at Maafushi Prison to resolve the issue. We have created a black and white list of people who use mobile phones in the prison area, the people authorized to use phones, and shared their identities and other details with relevant authorities,” he said.

Ahmed said that it will take time to produce an effective solution to the issue; to obtain additional resources and revise laws.