Increase in Canadian prison contraband

TORONTO, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Recent findings show a sharp increase in the seizure of contraband materials in Canadian prisons.

Between 2007 and 2011, there has been as much as a 170 percent increase in the seizure of items such as weapons, drugs and intoxicants, the Toronto Star reported.

Seizures of intoxicants such as LSD, THC, steroids and amphetamines rose from 1,295 in 2007 to 1,779 from 2010 to 2011.

There has been a marked increase in the seizures of unauthorized items such as cellphones, lock picks, rope and tattoo-making materials from 991 to 2,697.

Howard Sapers, Canada's correctional investigator, said the cause of the increase is not clear.

"I suspect that detection is getting better, so you do see an increase in seizures," he said. "What we really don't know is whether drug use inside prisons is up or down, whether the presence of weapons is greater or lesser than it used to be."