The Justice Ministry has reported an extensive campaign to curb corruption and the flow of contraband at Cyprus’s Central Prisons, in a document submitted to Parliament ahead of the 2026 budget debate. Since 2023, the ministry says it has strengthened efforts to prevent, detect and punish wrongdoing, ensuring every suspected case is met with firm disciplinary or criminal action.
Twelve warders are currently suspended. Three face criminal investigation for introducing or attempting to introduce narcotics into the prisons. One has been suspended for bringing in a mobile phone, and another pending a corruption probe. Four more are under suspension due to an ongoing police investigation concerning official documents, while three others are being investigated for serious criminal offences. One warder has already been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for arson.
The ministry said these cases demonstrate the Prisons Department’s “strict and impartial stance,” emphasising that no form of misconduct is ignored or tolerated, regardless of position or rank. Transparency and accountability, it added, remain key pillars of its operation.
Intensified Inspections
Operational checks have also been expanded. Between January and September 2025, over 135 coordinated searches were carried out in cells and other areas of the facility, leading to the seizure of numerous mobile phones, narcotics and other prohibited items.
The heightened scrutiny now extends to visitors. In one case, a visitor attempted to smuggle fourteen mobile phones hidden inside a domestic refrigerator. In another, two mobile phones were found concealed in a pair of shoes. A third visitor was caught trying to bring in drugs carefully hidden in a hair bun.
Broader Concerns and Continued Vigilance
Other incidents point to the persistence of the problem. One inmate returning from court was caught attempting to bring in a mobile phone, leading to the arrest of the lawyer who had allegedly passed it to him. In a separate incident, fourteen mobile phones were recovered after being thrown over the fence from the occupied areas into the prison compound.
The Justice Ministry says operational investigations and preventive measures will continue, with a focus on blocking entry points for prohibited items, tightening visitor screening and enforcing disciplinary and criminal consequences in every verified case of misconduct.