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Prison officials have failed in their attempts to curb the problem that has been ongoing for some years, including installing cellular blocking controls and tighter measures to avoid the entry of the contraband phones into the prison.



In the past, prisoners would use the prison's fixed lines phones to make contact with their victims. However, a system announcing that the call was coming from the prison curbed the problem.

But, cell phones, easy to smuggle into the prison, easy to hide and virtually untraceable, are the tools of the modern criminal.

Reports say that prisoners make calls to their intended victims, threatening to harm them or their families unless a payment is made. The last complaint was filed by a Upala man who said he was asked to deposit us$3.000 in a Banco Popular account to avoid harm to him and his family.

In the case of the Upala farmer, he has been a victim of attacks in the past, including one attempt where an AK-47 used by criminals.

Authorities say they have identified the two prisoners in the La Reforma and a woman, a sister of one of the prisoners on the outside that is the bank account holder.

In other cases, callers say they have been hired as "hit man", but for a cash payment to an accomplice or bank account, the "hit" will be called off.

Several years ago, the prison installed call blockers. But, these call blockers, if and when they are working, only block TDMA signals. Prison officials have to install blockers for GSM and 3G signals.