Drug and foreign money seized in Guatemalan prison

A coordinated operation allowed authorities to discover cash in various currencies, marijuana, and illicit tools inside the Santa Cruz del Quiché Men's Preventive Center, as part of institutional actions to improve prison security. Investigators from the National Civil Police (PNC) and the Public Ministry (MP) seized various prohibited items during the intervention in the male prison. Among the seized items are cash from at least three countries and marijuana, according to the result of the preliminary field test conducted by the MP. The Fiscal Agency of the Prosecutor's Office against the Crime of Extortion in Quiché carried out the diligence as part of the inter-institutional efforts to reinforce security and prevent crimes in the prison centers of the department.

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During the search, the PNC found 17 cell phone chargers, two mobile phones, and several sharp objects. In another simultaneous action, agents, along with the Penitentiary System, conducted a search in the local Women's Orientation Center to strengthen control and security in these establishments. During the search on February 25th at Granja Pavón, agents found nine mobile phones, 21 headphones, 29 cables, five chargers, 30 protectors, and two repair kits intended for the illicit sale of accessories in the prison. In addition, the staff seized 40 wrappers with apparent drugs and found a scale used for weighing prohibited substances, the Penitentiary System reported on its social media. Authorities highlighted that these operations are part of a permanent plan to reinforce security in the country's detention centers, with the aim of promoting transparency and compliance with regulations within the penitentiary system. In a parallel operation at the Chimaltenango detention center, four firearms and ammunition were also seized in cells occupied by detainees, consolidating the strategy of surprise checks implemented in several penitentiary complexes during the last few weeks.