Drugs including cocaine, heroin and various tablets have been found in Perth Prison.
Figures released through the Freedom of Information Act show that a total of 425 tablets were found along with 27 grams of cocaine and 41gm of heroin both class A drugs over a two-year period.
In addition, there were also 44gm of cannabis, 52 steroid tablets, 60 capsules, 50gm of brown powder, 19gm of a ‘brown substance’, 6gm of brown resin, 14gm of herbal substance and 1gm of ‘white powder’.
The prison also had 22 finds of unknown substances.
The drugs were found between January 1 2009 and January 1 this year.
Concerns have been expressed for some time that drugs are still rife in Scottish prisons, but the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) insists it is tackling the problem.
A spokesman for the SPS said: “Prisons reflect the problems prevailing in our society. Considerable effort has gone into increasing targeted resources, such as the use of drug detection dogs, developing intelligence and working with partner agencies to combat the threat of drugs.
“The drugs discovered are testament to the professionalism of our staff in combating the various methods used to bring drugs into our prisons.”
He added: “In the case of suspected drug finds, the police are advised of any such suspected criminality and proceed as they deem necessary.”
It is understood that there has been an increase in the number of intelligence officers inside prisons due to the Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency clamping down on illegal drug deals in Scottish prisons.
Murdo Fraser, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, told The Courier he feels staff at Perth Prison are working hard to combat the drugs problem there.
“There are already tight controls in place at Perth to reduce the number of drugs being brought into the prison. I know that the governor and all the staff at Perth Prison are working extremely hard to tackle this issue.
“There is always more than can be done, and the Scottish Government must do more to help our prison service to sort out this problem.”
He continued: “We must work harder to help addicts recover and send them on the path to abstinence.”