NSW: Code-breakers examining jail gang phone calls: Woodham

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2007
NSW: Code-breakers examining jail gang phone calls: Woodham

Translators and code-breakers are examining the phone conversations of a group of Islamic
inmates in Australia's highest security jail .. who are believed to be forming a gang
behind bars.

12 of the 37 inmates in the Super Max facility at Goulburn jail claim to be practising
Muslims .. including a number of Aboriginal converts .. raising security fears among officials.

NSW Corrective Services commissioner RON WOODHAM says the conversions .. which began
innocently enough .. now have authorities concerned that it was an organised operation
.. masterminded by convicted murderer BASSAM HAMZY.

Mr WOODHAM's told Southern Cross Broadcasting the people involved have never had any
contact or interest in religion before.

But he says all of a sudden they're converting to Islam .. with HAMZY as the powerbroker
as if he's forming a gang.

Mr WOODHAM says phone conversations .. which are being recorded .. are generally in
English .. but with a few Arabic words.

He says they've now got a library of tapes of their conversations .. and those people
who can translate Arabic and break codes are working on it.

AAP RTV acb/was/af/bart

KEYWORD: GANGS (SYDNEY)

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