Drugs, tattoo guns, tobacco and other contraband hidden inside garbage bags were intercepted by officers at Glen Innes Correctional Centre on Sunday afternoon.

The gear, which had been stashed inside an industries shed just outside of the prison, was the result of a four-week surveillance operation, Corrections NSW said.

After several tip-offs to authorities, prison officers had been carrying out secret surveillance and investigations for the past month, before stopping the illegal haul on Sunday.

The gear included 10 packets of tobacco – which is illegal in NSW prisons, as well as 21 packets of cigarette papers, 12 lighters, 152 tablets, 30 syringes, 58 needles, two vials of testosterone and one mobile phone charger and ear piece.

Also inside the garbage bags was a tattoo power station with accessories, two containers of tattoo ink, one jail-made tattoo gun and 97 tattoo needles.

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Despite the seizure, no charges have been laid. Prison officers are continuing to investigate the origins of the contraband.

Corrective Services NSW Commissioner Peter Severin said the contraband seizure should be a warning, with offenders facing two years behind bars if they’re caught trafficking.

"As demonstrated by these fine officers at Glen Innes, our staff are well trained and have the necessary tools to detect and prevent contraband from circulating through our centres," Mr Severin said.

Minister for Corrections David Elliott praised staff for the seizure.

"This is excellent work by the officers at Glenn Innes, who conducted a strategic-search based on intelligence gathering and surveillance," Mr Elliott said.

"I congratulate them for ensuring the safety of staff and inmates at the centre by preventing these items from being circulated through the prison system."

Glen Innes prison is a minimum-security correctional centre, just outside of town.