Inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) are believed to have broken out of the institution and made their way into the city where they broke into two telecoms stores and stole a number of cell phones.
On Sunday, thieves targeted the Market Street offices of both Flow and Digicel and made off with a number of mobile phones which are trackable.
Reports reaching Observer from at least three sources are that the crime was committed by inmates who escaped from HMP through the Division B roof and returned a short while later.
Sources also reported that the roof, which is said to be in dire need of repair, is often used as an escape route for the inmates.
The prison’s Acting Superintendent Jermaine Anthony told Observer he was not in a position to comment on the thefts, saying it was a matter for the police.
But he did say he had received no report of prisoners escaping over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Police PRO Inspector Frankie Thomas told Observer that law enforcement officers had recently retrieved a number of mobile phones from the prison after executing search warrants.
He said investigations are ongoing to determine whether those devices are linked to those stolen from the two stores.
This incident, if confirmed, occurred less than a week after a major raid at HMP saw more than 60 cell phones seized from inmates, along with an abundance of other contraband.