Drugs found in chocolate wrapper after prisoner’s food stockpile seized

A bizarre probe is under way in a southeast Queensland jail after a prisoner’s chocolate wrapper was found to contain a substance worth hundreds of dollars.

A BIZARRE investigation is under way into claims a prison intel officer found drugs in a chocolate wrapper after accepting the treat from a colleague who was handling a prisoner’s seized food.

The Courier-Mail has been told a prisoner had stockpiled masses of food and it was seized earlier this week by prison staff at Woodford jail, north of Brisbane.

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Staff have claimed that chocolates were among the items seized and an employee began eating and sharing the contents of the confectionery with colleagues.

But the matter became a serious incident after an intel officer opened one of the chocolates and found multiple strips of the opioid drug Subutex inside, according to officers.

The drug buprenorphine, found in Subutex and Suboxone used for opioid addiction, is a hot commodity inside jail.

A Subutex strip cut into four pieces can sell for $400.

Officers have raised major concerns over the incident, and want answers as to how the drug made its way into the jail and why a prison employee was allegedly eating and sharing food seized from a prisoner.

A number of questions about the allegations were put to Queensland Corrective Services, including the claims drugs were found and that the employee ate and shared the prisoner’s chocolates.

Questions were not answered as to whether the incident had been logged or referred to an outside agency such as the Queensland Police Service, or whether the staffer had commented on the claims about eating the chocolates.

“QCS is aware of allegations relating to the conduct of an officer following the seizure of some food items from a prisoner at Woodford Correctional Centre,” a QCS spokesman said.

“As the matter is subject to an Ethical Standards investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment any further.

“As a top-tier public safety agency, Queensland Corrective Services is committed to the highest standards of conduct, transparency and accountability.

“We expect the highest in professional and ethical behaviour from all our officers.

“Our officers play a vital role in ensuring the safety and security of the community by managing some of the most challenging people in society in highly dynamic situations.

“To do this effectively and humanely, it is important that their behaviour is appropriate and proportionate to the circumstances.”