Three women who attempted to smuggle money in tubes of toothpaste to an inmate at the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, found themselves being charged with breaches of the Correctional Act.

THE STAR learnt that about 10:30 a.m. on Monday, the three females, Simone Hemmings, 36; Phillistine Balgrove, 58 and her daughter Angella Balgrove, went to visit an inmate at the penal institution, when the bags of groceries they brought were searched by correctional officers.

During the search, several tubes of toothpaste were checked and found to contain concealed money.

The police were called and the women held. They were charged by Detective Corporal Kirk Roache of the Spanish Town Police Station.

The women are booked to appear in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on March 23.

Recently, a mother was sentenced to 50 hours community service after she was caught trying to smuggle money into the correctional facility in a container of ice.