CHANDIGARH: Prison inmates in Punjab have been smuggling drugs and mobile phones into prisons by hiding them in their private parts and body cavities. According to figures with the Jail Department, 290 male and female inmates were caught trying to smuggle contraband and phones into the state’s 26 jails. Out of these, 35 hid them in their private parts.
Ranjit Singh, who was lodged in Ludhiana Central Jail, had smuggled three packets of bidis in his rectum. Once inside, he complained of pain and was rushed to hospital, where doctors removed two packets of bidis from him, while one packet had dissolved. He died on returning to jail. In Kapurthala Jail, when inmate Vicky’s wife Manpreet Kaur visited him, she was carrying 10 grams of contraband in her private parts.
An inmate said, “When I went out on parole and came back, I tried to smuggle heroin in my rectum after watching TV shows in which smugglers used the same modus operandi.” Another prisoner told The Sunday Standard, “Inmates said that if I want to have drugs in jail and earn money, I should smuggle them in my private parts. We carry SIM cards between our back teeth.”
Undertrial Kamaljit Singh and Gureet Singh in Kapurthala Jail were caught with heroin in condoms in their rectum. In Amritsar Central Jail, undertrial Gursawak Singh was caught while smuggling in 1,700 miligrams of drugs the same way. Sanjeev Kumar—who had gone to meet his relative in jail—was caught with 4.5 grams of drugs in his rectum. In Gurdaspur Central Jail, heroin was found in rectums of undertrials Varinder Singh and Sarabjir Singh. Surjit Kaur, a woman visitor, was caught with 600 tablets of drugs, using the same modus operandi.
Inmate Kajol was caught while smuggling in three packets of tobacco and `2,500 the same way into Women’s Jail in Ludhiana after undergoing treatment in a hospital. Undertrial Passo was caught with three bidi packets between her breasts in Gurdaspur Central Jail. In Ropar Jail, an inmate was held with a mobile phone in his rectum. In Ludhiana Central Jail, an inmate was caught with a mobile phone in the same cavity. In Patiala Central Jail, Kamaldeep Singh was caught with 160 drug tablets tied to his private parts.
Additional Director General of Police (Prisons), Punjab, R P Meena told The Sunday Standard, “Such incidents have come to our notice and we are adopting a zero tolerance policy. Anyone smuggling in contraband and mobiles are not spared. We have deployed eight sniffer dogs in various jails to detect contraband. It is a deterrent to inmates as they are scared of dogs. We are sending a proposal to the government to install body scanners in jails.” Meena added that earlier, inmates and visitors “were using traditional methods such as carrying contraband in vegetables, shoes, clothes, turbans and milk products”.
Rajinder Singla, who served in the Jail Department earlier, says, “When drugs are carried in private parts, they can be absorbed in the blood, which can lead to complications like poisoning and reactions in the body.’’
NO Cold Turkey
● A woman visitor was caught with 600 drug tablets in her body cavity
● Another woman was held while suggling in three packets of tobacco and `2,500
● Inmates also smuggle SIM cards between their back teeth
● Sniffer dogs have been deployed in eight Punjab jails to detect drugs.