Drugs, Gambling and Booze Keep the Party Going at Colombian Prison

Prison, by definition, means a building where people are held legally as a punishment for a crime they have committed or while awaiting trial. Generally, prison is the least favorite place for most people. However, this may not be the case for inmates at La Picota Penitentiary Prison Complex located in Bogota, Colombia.

Recently, the prison complex hit news headlines after leaked videos on social media showed a large-scale party. Although a prison party does sound odd, videos shared on social media showed inmates enjoying live music entertainment, gambling and more entertaining activities. Along with that, prisoners were seen smoking cigarettes and drinking liquor.

While local authorities tried to handle the case professionally and even fired high-rank correctional officers, it looks like the parties continue behind closed doors. Large-scale parties, even in prison, need a steady supply of goods and according to a report released by the news outlet Colombiano, one such shipment was intersected by prison security.

On Thursday this week, prison guards at La Picota penitentiary stopped a truck at the portal for an inspection. The truck that was heading into the prison had “an irregular cove inside it.” Upon further inspection, the guards uncovered a large quantity of contraband.

Smuggling a Truckload of Contraband

People smuggling a bottle of whiskey, a pack of cigarettes or drugs in small quantities into prison isn’t impossible or uncommon. But the truck that was stopped at La Picota prison was loaded with contraband, enough for a party that may last for weeks. The prison guards uncovered ten cell phones along with 300 SIM cards, as well as snacks and cans of food and even chips. More worrying is that they also found nearly 5 pounds of marijuana, along with just above a pound of cocaine. But it wasn’t only drugs and food that were being transported into the prison by the truck.

A large quantity of expensive liquor, including expensive whiskey bottles, bottles of rum and tequila were also found. Along with those, there were hundreds of beers, including popular brands like Corona, Club Colombia and Heineken. And if that doesn’t sound enough for a party, there’s more. The guards at the prison even uncovered household appliances, which the truck wanted to smuggle into the prison.