Correctional Services Department launches anti-gambling operations ahead of World Cup 2018

     The Correctional Services Department (CSD)'s Quality Assurance Division held a press briefing today (June 11) to highlight a series of measures to combat soccer betting in correctional institutions arising from World Cup 2018. In addition, officers introduced measures to thwart the trafficking of contraband into correctional institutions and demonstrated the general routine searching of persons in custody to prevent them from concealing contraband.
 
     The department's Senior Superintendent (Quality Assurance), Mr Anthony Pang, said, "The CSD always strives to ensure good order and discipline in correctional institutions. Given that there have been persons in custody engaging in gambling activities arising from major soccer competitions in the past, thereby affecting institutional discipline, the CSD has, as in past years, conducted a series of anti-gambling measures early in the year to combat gambling activities of persons in custody. The CSD has also stepped up its searching, so as to prevent persons in custody from concealing contraband and to stamp out smuggling of contraband into correctional institutions, thus ensuring a secure and safe custodial environment."
 
     From the beginning of this year to the end of May, the department conducted special searches, night raids and joint search operations on more than 3,000 occasions. During the operations, 45 persons in custody were found to have participated in gambling activities or have possessed gambling-related contraband. Anti-gambling measures will continue to be implemented throughout the World Cup 2018 period. During the press briefing, officers introduced their searching techniques, and contraband items including gambling records and homemade weapons were displayed.
 
     In view of the international situation as well as the security concerns within the correctional institutions, the CSD introduced flammable liquid detectors this year so as to detect flammable substances and prevent them from being introduced into correctional institutions. In this regard, officers demonstrated how to detect flammable substances with the detector.
 
     Finally, members of the Correctional Services Dog Unit demonstrated the use of their trained dogs for searching activities. In addition to patrol duties, the dogs are trained to detect other contraband as well in order to support the surveillance inside the correctional institutions.