Police have laid an additional 33 corruption-related charges following a police investigation into prison guards allegedly taking cash to smuggle drugs and mobile phones to inmates inside corrections facilities.
Twenty people – including nine Corrections Officers from the Mt Eden Corrections Facility, one from Spring Hill Corrections Facility, five Reintegration Officers from the Auckland South Corrections Facility, and five members of the public – were charged in May following a police investigation, dubbed Operation Jasper, into alleged criminal activity at the Auckland prison in July last year, Detective Inspector Colin Parmenter said at the time.
The police probe found mobile phones smuggled into corrections facilities were allegedly used to run drug importation and contraband trafficking operations from behind bars, police said.
Police today confirmed a further 33 corruption-related charges against people charged when the operation ended in late May 2026. It brings the total number of charges being faced by the group to 141.
"Police note these charges require the Attorney-General’s consent to prosecute."
Operation Jasper
The probe initially focused on activities of sentenced and remand prisoners.
"We will allege that some of those prisoners were coordinating drug importations and drug-related transactions from within prison."
He said "concerningly", corrections officers were identified as being involved.
"Several staff working in Mt Eden were allegedly involved in smuggling mobile phones, drugs, tobacco and other contraband into prison in exchange for cash.
"Police believe the phones were used by prisoners to continue drug importation and distribution activities from within the Mt Eden facility."
Operation Jasper then expanded to examine the Auckland South Correctional Facility (ASCF), based in Wiri.
Parmenter said evidence was identified that implicated several reintegration officers employed by Serco allegedly engaging in similar practices.
"It will be alleged this involved smuggling controlled drugs and tobacco for financial gain."
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