Hong Kong Stanley Prison security officers conducted a special search and found 76 suspected soccer betting notes, said the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department on Monday.

The special search took place on Sept. 19 at a shoe-making workshop in Stanley Prison. The total amount of betting involved was estimated to be 6,634 packs of cigarettes, valued at around 600,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 76,923 US dollars) at black market exchange rate.

A spokeswoman of the Correctional Services Department said that they would spare no effort in stemming illegal activities including gambling in penal institutions.

"Based on this discovery, prisoners at the workshop will be closely monitored while investigative action is under way," the spokeswoman said.

She said gambling in any form was strictly prohibited inside penal institutions. "We have spared no effort to detect and clamp down on any illicit activities inside penal institutions," she said.

"Last week's seizure at Stanley Prison pointed to the fact that our actions have been successful in stemming gambling or other illicit activities in prisons.

"Staff members will continue to closely monitor prisoners' activities physically and through closed circuit TV and collation of intelligence," she added.

In 2005, a total of 169 prisoners were disciplined for their involvement in gambling activities. The penalties meted out included forfeiture of remission of 2,779 days, separate confinement of 2,203 days, forfeiture of privileges of 2,203 days and deprivation of earnings of 2,436 days.

Source: Xinhua