A soldier on duty at Portlaoise Prison fired a warning shot tonight after a number of men tried to smuggle phones into the Midlands Prison.
GardaĆ, the prison service and the defence forces believe that this was an attempt to smuggle phones into the Midlands prison which was foiled by a soldier on duty at Portlaoise prison next door.
At around 7pm a number of men broke through a perimetre fence and made their way towards the walls around the midlands prison.
A soldier on duty in one of the watchtowers at the adjoining Portlaoise prison saw the men and called on them to stop and identify themselves.
It appears that his verbal warnings were ignored.
The Defence Forces say the soldier fired a warning shot in response to the security incident.
The men fled the scene and in a follow up search seven phones were recovered in a package which prison sources believe were destined to be thrown into the Midlands prison.
The GardaĆ, the Prison Service and the Military Police are now investigating the incident.
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Cross post from News.
No doubt RGJ will be surprised, shocked and agitated that soldiers are in a civilian prison in the first place, but I can assure him that there is a very good reason for it.
Well done No 1 Sec Coy, and that man in particular.
GardaĆ, the prison service and the defence forces believe that this was an attempt to smuggle phones into the Midlands prison which was foiled by a soldier on duty at Portlaoise prison next door.
At around 7pm a number of men broke through a perimetre fence and made their way towards the walls around the midlands prison.
A soldier on duty in one of the watchtowers at the adjoining Portlaoise prison saw the men and called on them to stop and identify themselves.
It appears that his verbal warnings were ignored.
The Defence Forces say the soldier fired a warning shot in response to the security incident.
The men fled the scene and in a follow up search seven phones were recovered in a package which prison sources believe were destined to be thrown into the Midlands prison.
The GardaĆ, the Prison Service and the Military Police are now investigating the incident.
-----
Cross post from News.
No doubt RGJ will be surprised, shocked and agitated that soldiers are in a civilian prison in the first place, but I can assure him that there is a very good reason for it.
Well done No 1 Sec Coy, and that man in particular.
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