GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Guyana government said it was aware of the recent Facebook post made by prisoners at the New Amsterdam Prison on Mother’s Day drinking alcohol and having a party.

The Ministry of Public Security in a brief statement said that the mobile device which was used by one the inmate to upload the photos to the social media website “has since been seized by the authorities and investigations into the matter are currently ongoing”.

 “The ministry is extremely disappointed that alien objects and other material, inclusive of drugs and liquor, find their way into the various prisons as obviously happened here. There is no doubt collusion with prison wardens and prisoners which is causing this.

“This kind of misbehaviour by the culpable prison wardens will be dealt with very seriously after the ongoing investigations reveal who they are. The public will be further advised on this matter after investigations concludes,” the ministry said in the statement.

Social media showed the inmates, including one who is on remand on a murder charge, at the New Amsterdam Prison posing with the drinks and smoking what appeared to be marijuana cigarettes.

“There is no direct evidence pointing to any prison officer who would have facilitated the movement of the contraband into the prison. The prisoner would have identified a civilian who brought it,” GPS Director, Gladwin Samuels, told the online publication Demerarawaves.

He said a playback of video surveillance recordings showed that a tractor was searched and nothing was found.

The publication said pictures of the prisoners holding and consuming what appeared to be bottles of liquor were posted on the Facebook page of remanded murder accused, Abdul Andre Azimullah.

“Sanctions will be taken against those persons who are found culpable,” Samuels said.

The latest incident comes less than two weeks ago after Samuels had complained about the ongoing problem of smuggling of prohibited items into the prisons.

He warned prison wardens about being part of the smuggling efforts and reminded them of the action that could be taken once they are found in the act.

Last July, prisoners of the Camp Street jail gutted that facility during an escape by several prisoners. A young prison officer was shot dead by the escaping prisoners.