More cocaine was seized at a north-east superjail last year than at any other Scottish prison.
New figures released by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) reveal that in 46 drug seizures at HMP Grampian last year, wardens confiscated quantities of the Class A drug as well as cannabis and heroin.
Also among the contraband found by officers were 21 weapons and 36 mobile phones.
Although the “street value” of recreational drugs fluctuates, research by the advisory council on the misuse of drugs suggests cocaine is worth on average £55 per gram, making the 15.2g stash recovered in Peterhead worth more than £800.
The second highest quantity of cocaine seized behind bars in Scotland last year – worth about £500 – was at Polmont young offenders institution in the central belt.
In total, 35% of all the cocaine recovered from Scotland’s 15 prisons was found at HMP Grampian.
SPS officers – who carry out “presumptive testing” of illicit substances before they are handed over to the police – discovered 10g of cocaine at Grampian in 2014, only 13% of the national haul.
Last night, an SPS spokeswoman said: “We recognise the importance of providing a safe and secure environment for our staff and those in our custody.
“Any prohibited items being recovered within our establishments can be attributed to the professionalism and diligence of our staff and partners, advances in technology and the deployment of various methods of detection, such as intelligence gathering and tactical dog units.”
She added that anyone caught with contraband or attempting to smuggle drugs, weapons or electronic devices into jail would be reported to the “appropriate authorities”.
Recently re-elected Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson, who held talks with the jail’s governor last year, said the seizures demonstrated the success of a crackdown on contraband.
He said: “These figures confirm the excellent job being done by staff at the new prison in detecting illegal substances and materials, which criminal elements will always attempt to smuggle into jail, and preventing them getting into the wrong hands.”
