Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said that no inter-state drug trafficking syndicate is operating from Central Jail, Colvale.More than 500 undertrial prisoners and 100 convicts are lodged in the jail, including 10 convicted in narcotics cases.In Aug, the crime branch took custody of convict Azrudeen Achi alias Asaru in an NDPS case. During interrogation, he allegedly disclosed how the drug distribution network was being operated from within the jail.“Goa police receives and acts on intelligence about narcotics trafficking from the intelligence branch, crime branch, NCB, and other agencies. Such inputs are verified and analysed, and necessary preventive and legal action is taken under the NDPS Act, 1985,” said Sawant.A crime branch investigation recently uncovered a narcotics network allegedly operated from inside the jail, with a convicted NDPS accused using cellphones, WhatsApp, and UPI transactions to coordinate drug procurement and distribution across the country.Police had said the accused, lodged in the jail, connected suppliers and dealers through WhatsApp, arranged procurement of narcotic substances from different states, and shared collection locations with local operatives. Payments were made through UPI as well as in cash.Sawant said that the jail has three-tier frisking at gate-C and gate-D, and the prisoners are frisked by escort police before they take them into custody and to take them out of jail for court production and medical follow-ups.Sawant said that six tower posts are manned by IRBn armed guards 24×7 for the outer security of the prison and to monitor the activities/movements of inmates.The chief minister said that 205 closed-circuit cameras have been installed covering all sensitive areas, gates, and in and out areas on the jail premises. Two big baggage scanners have been installed at the entrance of the jail and three door frame metal detectors have been installed at gates C and D.Following the revelations, the prisons department is exploring technologies to prevent the illegal use of cellphones inside the jail. It is evaluating mobile jammers and the tower-harmonious call blocking system (T-HCBS) in consultation with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and the department of telecommunications (DoT), which have begun technical surveys.
