21/05/2026
What a shocking system failure. The people trusted to maintain safety and law inside prisons are themselves accused of helping organised into correctional facilities only strengthens criminal networks and puts communities at risk. Accountability and stronger oversight are clearly needed to restore public trust.
A complex Police investigation spanning nearly a year has unearthed alleged corruption and other criminal activity taking place within several corrections facilities.
Twenty people have been charged this week after the National Organised Crime Group terminated Operation Jasper.
Those arrested include Corrections Officers, Reintegration Officers and members of the public associated to prisoners.
Police have identified serious criminal offending, so serious that the corruption and bribery charges required the Attorney-General’s consent to prosecute.
Detective Inspector Colin Parmenter, of the National Organised Crime Group, says Police began investigating criminal activity at the Mt Eden Corrections Facility (MECF) in July 2025.
“Our investigation initially focused on the activities of sentenced and remand prisoners based at Mt Eden,” he says.
“We will allege that some of those prisoners were coordinating drug importations and drug-related transactions from within prison.”
Concerningly, Corrections Officers were identified as being involved in this offending.
“Several staff working in Mt Eden were allegedly involved in smuggling mobile phones, drugs, to***co and other contraband into prison in exchange for cash,” Detective Inspector Parmenter says.
“Police believe the phones were used by prisoners to continue drug importation and distribution activities from within the Mt Eden facility.”
The Police investigation soon expanded.
Operation Jasper’s sights moved to the Auckland South Correctional Facility (ASCF), based in Wiri.
Parmenter says evidence was identified that implicated several Reintegration Officers, employed by Serco, allegedly engaging in similar corrupt practices.
It will be alleged this involved smuggling controlled drugs and to***co for financial gain.
This week Police have executed 25 search warrants across the Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty regions, including at the Mount Eden Corrections Facility.
A cell search was also conducted at Spring Hill Corrections Facility in the Waikato.
Overall, those charged include nine Corrections Officers from the Mt Eden Corrections Facility, one from Spring Hill Corrections Facility, five Reintegration Officers from the Auckland South Corrections Facility, and five members of the public.
To date there has been 108 charges laid in relation to this investigation.
“Police have worked closely with Corrections and Serco as part of this investigation, and we are all committed to rooting out corruption and preventing this criminal offending from taking place,” Detective Inspector Parmenter says.
Operation Jasper has identified drug dealing offences allegedly carried out by prisoners, guards, and their associates.
“There has been an incredible amount of work put into this investigation to get where we are to date, but as matters are now subject to court proceedings we will be limited in providing any further comments,” Detective Inspector Parmenter says.
Those arrested are from the Auckland and Bay of Plenty region and have been appearing in the Auckland District Court.
