Fourteen staff across two Auckland prisons have been arrested as part of a wider police operation in the city.
The Department of Corrections confirmed nine staff at the Mt Eden Corrections Facility had been taken into custody, but would not say what they were alleged to have done.
Serco also confirmed five reintegration officers working at the Kohuora Auckland South Corrections Facility had also been arrested following the investigation, which a spokesperson said "spanned across corrections sites in Auckland".
This afternoon, the Minister of Corrections suggested the arrests were related to gang activity in the sector.
Deputy commissioner for men's prisons Dave Pattinson said the arrests included both corrections officers and senior corrections officers.
"This matter is now subject to active investigation and court proceedings, which we don’t want to compromise in any way. We are actively working through the impact on these staff members’ employment," he said in a statement.
"Corrections has assisted police throughout their operation and will continue to do so."
He noted the arrests were part of a "wider police operation in the Auckland area".
Pattinson emphasised the vast majority of Corrections staff did the right thing.
"Criminal activity in our prisons will not be tolerated and any prisoners or staff taking part in this sort of activity will be found out and held to account," he said.
"Corrections employs approximately 11,000 staff and the overwhelming majority act with integrity, professionalism and honesty in what is an extremely demanding and often dangerous job working with New Zealand's most dangerous offenders."
Pattinson said inmates often tried to continue offending from behind bars.
"The safety and security of our prisons is our top priority. Many prisoners go to extreme lengths and use significant manipulation tactics in an attempt to continue offending while in prison," he said.
In a statement, a Serco spokesperson said the good order, safety and security of the Auckland South Corrections Facility was its "highest priority".
"We have zero tolerance for any actions that compromise safety in the prison or the wider community.
“We are confident that the overwhelming majority of our staff have integrity, professionalism and a strong commitment to safety every day.”
The spokesperson added Serco took all forms of criminal activity “extremely seriously” and it assisted police with their inquiries throughout the investigation.
A police spokesperson told 1News the investigation was "still active" and it was too soon to release further information.
"Police matters are still active as we speak as there is a wider investigation. We will have further comment to make but not right at this stage."
Corrections Minister: 'This is part of what gangs and organised crime do'
Minister of Corrections Mark Mitchell said he couldn't talk to specific details of the case, but added he was "concerned in terms of, obviously, we've taken a very hard approach against gangs".
"Gangs and organised crime, this is part of what they do.
"They try to target people. They try to get contraband and information into our prisons, and that’s why as Minister I’ve been very clear from day one that I want Corrections and Police working very closely together, so we send a very clear message that in our country, there is zero tolerance for that.
"We have got 11,000 Corrections personnel in this country, the majority in fact most of them are just quite simply outstanding, professional and project the values of the organisation and integrity.
"When we don’t have people that live up to those values, then there’s going to be swift action taken."
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