Police were called out to the Port of Spain Prison yesterday morning after a “disturbance” was reported at the remand facility.

The Express was told that around 10.15 a.m., a group of prisoners began acting in an aggravated manner when a “high-risk” prisoner, who was being brought back to his cell, confronted prison officers at the prison compound on Frederick Street.

The inmate was reported to have refused to obey lawful instructions to return to his cell, and became violent and uncontrollable, then assaulted one of the officers who was conveying him.

The officer had to defend himself, and other inmates in the vicinity chose this incident to rally around their fellow inmate, causing a fracas.

The Express was told by a prison official that “after several attempts by officers responding to the situation to execute their duties in a professional manner, the use of a level of force became necessary and was utilised”.

All inmates were returned to their cells and the situation was brought under control.

The incident was said to have lasted about ten minutes.

In the aftermath, 11 people, including six prison officers, were taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital for medical treatment.

All injuries were said to be minor.

Prisons Commissioner Deopersad Ramoutar confirmed the incident to the Express and praised his officers for their swift response in quelling the fracas.

He emphasized that there was no “riot”, as was being touted on various social media sites during the day.

In a subsequent media release, Ramoutar stated that an investigation had been launched into the incident.

He also assured members of the public that the incident was quelled and normal operations resumed at the Port of Spain Prison.

According to the release, situations like these are “all in a day’s work for the prison officers who are at times, undervalued and unappreciated, and he (Ramoutar) has given his commitment to have dialogue with all parties and to achieve an amicable resolution.

Drone connection

The incident is being linked to the seizure of contraband items at the prison when a drone attempted to drop quantities of marijuana onto the compound.

Around 8.45 a.m. on Sunday prison officers heard a strange noise, and upon investigating, observed that a drone was hovering over the compound.

The drone then dropped a package. The package was quickly seized by the officers and was found to contain 269 grammes of marijuana.

The drug was seized and officers of the Port of Spain police were contacted.

Footage of the drone hovering over the prison was uploaded to social media sites on Sunday.

On Sunday, Ramoutar confirmed the incident, saying he was concerned over the regular drone incidents.

He said that such incidents continue to be a challenge, not only for the Prison Service, but for all security agencies.

He indicated that in addition to regular searches and patrols, other counter-measures have been implemented.

“These counter-measures have proven to be successful as the drone drops do not meet the intended targets,” Ramoutar said.

He also commended the superintendent and officers at the Port of Spain Prison for doing “an excellent job” at managing the security at the institution.