Six operatives of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) have been dismissed following an internal investigation that uncovered a network of compromised staff allegedly supplying mobile phones and other unauthorised services to suspects in the agency’s custody.
The disciplinary action followed a security breach on February 16, 2026, when an officer conducting routine rounds of the suspects’ cells discovered one of them making a phone call on a mobile device.
The discovery triggered an investigation that uncovered several prohibited items in two holding facilities, including mobile phones, phone accessories and a screwdriver considered a potentially lethal weapon.
According to a report by 3News, at least six mobile phones were recovered during the operation.
The investigation took a new turn when investigators discovered the phone number of a BNI operative written on the back of a playing card used by suspects for recreational activities. The discovery prompted further inquiries into how the officer’s number had ended up in the possession of detainees.
Subsequent investigations reportedly uncovered an internal collaboration network in which a BNI officer supplied mobile phones and other prohibited services to suspects in exchange for financial rewards. Sources described the arrangement as an organised business operated by compromised staff.
Investigators also established that some suspects, with the assistance of compromised officers, arranged for relatives to deliver restaurant meals outside the agency’s established procedures. Mobile phones and accessories were allegedly concealed in the food packages.
Eight BNI operatives were investigated and subjected to internal disciplinary proceedings. After all disciplinary channels had been exhausted, six were dismissed, one was demoted, and another was exonerated.
A source said the agency had since tightened its internal controls, adding that an ongoing purge includes polygraph tests for staff and other measures aimed at enforcing discipline and ensuring strict compliance with operational rules and regulations.
