{
  "id": 9029058,
  "title": "'Tauke', couriers and compromised officers: Inside prison's contraband trade [WATCH]",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/tauke-couriers-and-compromised-officers-inside-prisons-contraband",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T23:00:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/09/1537958/tauke-couriers-and-compromised-officers-inside-prisons-contraband-trade"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Malaysia's prison system, contraband trade is a prevalent issue, with inmates able to obtain a wide range of items for the right price. A former Taiping Prison warden, Aziz, revealed the extent of the trade, stating that tobacco, ganja, syabu, lighters, matches, and mobile phones were some of the most commonly smuggled items. Aziz explained that the network was centered around influential inmates known as tauke, who coordinated orders and connected inmates with those who could provide contraband. Orang kerja, inmates assigned to work inside the prison, were often involved in moving items between areas or facilitating contact. Prohibited items could be concealed in various ways, such as swallowing them or hiding them in the rectum. Payments were often routed through family members or trusted contacts outside prison, with some prison officers reportedly earning about RM3,000 a month for facilitating access or turning a blind eye. Despite security checks and searches, some contraband still managed to slip through, highlighting the vulnerabilities within the prison system.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: From tobacco, ganja and syabu to lighters, matches and mobile phones, inmates can get almost anything they want behind bars for the right price.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Inside the Venezuelan prison meant to 'drive you insane'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/inside-the-venezuelan-prison-meant-to-drive-you-insane",
        "published": "2026-09-22T02:52:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}