A prison officer whose car was firebombed outside her home has been suspended amid fears contraband was being smuggled.
The female officer at HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow is being investigated by Scottish Prison Service bosses after an incident earlier this month.
It emerged that the staff member had been targeted by criminals who torched her car in May.
That incident followed an arson attack in Barlinnie’s staff car park in January, which was also believed to be related to the drugs trade within the jail.
When two cars were set ablaze, inmates were heard cheering and locals made videos that showed the destruction.
A source said: “It’s not actually clear what this officer was taking in but there’s a lot going on at Barlinnie now, with gangsters attempting to coerce officers to take stuff in, mainly phones and drugs.
“It starts out as a bribe made and officers can get approached away from the jail.
“But as soon as anyone shows weakness and takes even the smallest package in, that’s it. They’ve effectively sold themselves.
“There isn’t any way of putting in your notice and resigning from the gangland postal service because they have a hold over you with blackmail and, by this time, they know where you live and who your family members are.”
The source added: “There’s been a few officers’ cars targeted in separate incidents and it’s difficult not to consider that they’re linked.”
At the firebombing incident in January, a white car and a red vehicle were engulfed in flames.
The melted cars were removed from the scene by a recovery vehicle just hours later.
Both of the motors were completely gutted by the flames, with the white car’s front wing melting away under the intense heat.
Officers cordoned off the car park.
Footage showed multiple cars on fire as thick smoke billowed across the car park.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson confirmed that a member of staff had been suspended but refused to give further details.
