A LETTER sent from Parliament to a prison inmate sparked a Class-A drugs probe when it was found to contain traces of ecstasy. Jail bosses have launched an investigation after the reply to the lag fell foul of sophisticated drug screening equipment and was not passed on. When the letter — written on House of […]
A LETTER sent from Parliament to a prison inmate sparked a Class-A drugs probe when it was found to contain traces of ecstasy.
Jail bosses have launched an investigation after the reply to the lag fell foul of sophisticated drug screening equipment and was not passed on.
When the letter — written on House of Commons headed note-paper — arrived at the jail, it was found to have been exposed to a significant amount of ecstasy powder MDMA.
Further investigation showed the envelope and letter, franked with the postmark of the House of Commons, contained traces of the drug, it was revealed last night.
A prison source said: “It was a very odd case but someone who has handled the letter somewhere along the line could have had enough on their hands for our scanners to pick up.”
The letter was sent by a junior official in the Palace of Westminster on March 22 to HMP Coldingley in Surrey.
The inmate had requested information from the Commons’ library, which holds statistics and reports about parliamentary matters.
This evening prison bosses confirmed to The Sun that they had launched a formal investigation. And the prison’s guards have also raised the issue directly with the Ministry of Justice.
The Prison Service said: “Diligent security staff at HMP Coldingley stopped a suspicious letter reaching a prisoner. An investigation is under way.”
House of Commons authorities have refused to comment.
There are more than 3,000 pass-holders with access to the Parliamentary estate.
It has its own internal post offices and mail service to support millions of letters sent to and from MPs every year.
HMP Coldingley is a Category C men’s prison.
