Cork Prison contraband seizures at lowest level in a decade

Ten mobile phones and 12 weapons were confiscated in Cork Prison last year.

Data on contraband seizures published by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) shows that there were 62 seizures in Cork Prison last year and 60 the year before, the lowest figures over the last 10 years.

There were 84 seizures in 2022, 114 in 2021, 75 in 2020, 111 in 2019, 121 in 2018, 74 in 2017, 96 in 2016 and 91 in 2015.

Ten mobile phones were seized in 2024 and nine in 2023, with 217 confiscated since 2015.

Twelve weapons were confiscated in 2024, 15 in 2023, and 220 over the 10-year period.

Drugs

Drugs were the most common type of contraband seized, with a total of 451 seizures of this type since 2015. There were 40 drug seizures in Cork Prison last year, up slightly from 36 the year before but still below the average for the decade.

There were no arrests as a result of seizures in Cork Prison last year. In total, 12 people have been arrested by gardaí in the last 10 years following the confiscation of contraband.

The overall decrease in contraband seizures from an average of 96 pre-2022 to 60 and 62 in 2023 and 2024 comes despite a large increase in the number of people in custody during this time period.

There was an average of 218 people in custody in Cork Prison in 2015, 253 in 2016, 272 in 2017, 288 in 2018, 291 in 2019, 271 in 2020, 255 in 2021, 262 in 2022, 306 in 2023, and 335 in 2024.

Over capacity

The capacity of Cork prison is 296, meaning the two years that the prison has been over capacity have seen the least amount of seizures.

So far, 2025 has seen multiple overcrowding records, reaching 403 people in custody in August of this year.

A spokesperson for the IPS said it is “committed to preventing the access of contraband into prisons”, that this is a high priority, and it is investing in new technologies and measures to detect it.

“The Irish Prison Service continues to have high level engagement and the sharing of intelligence with An Garda Síochána on a regular basis which is resulting in the seizure of contraband, arrests and significant disruption to organised crime involved in smuggling contraband into Irish prisons.

“An Garda Síochána continues to support the Irish Prison Service operationally with ongoing operations in each relevant Garda Division, including Operation Throwover which is intended to disrupt, interdict and prosecute attempts to introduce contraband into prisons," said the spokesperson.

“Prison staff have increased the use of random and intelligence led cell searches on a daily basis. Our Canine Unit carry out searches around the prisons, including a greater focus on searching deliveries into prisons.”