MOSCOW, September 11 (RAPSI) – A bill increasing fines for sending parcels containing prohibited items to prisoners and detainees has been submitted to the lower house of Russian parliament. The document has been published on the State Duma database.

Amendments are proposed to the Code of Administrative Offenses.

Currently, sending or attempts to give banned items and food products to inmates or detainees is punished with fines ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles ($43-71) with forfeiture of prohibited articles.

The bill stipulates fines ranging from 15,000 to 30,000 rubles ($214-430) with confiscation of the items for these crimes.

The document reads that the number of seized articles, including money and alcoholic beverages, keeps swelling. The key problem is increase of attempts to deliver cell phones, SIM cards and chargers to convicts.

In 2017, about 5,900 persons were fined for sending or attempted delivery of banned items to prisoners while 314 individuals were brought to criminal liability for illegal acquisition, keeping, transportation, producing of drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues, an explanatory note to the bill reads.

The bill adoption will enhance the fight against sending of prohibited items to inmates or detainees and crimes committed by prisoners using cell phones.