Hyderabad: In a rare case, two drug peddlers were caught red-handed inside the Nampally criminal court complex, trying to slip marijuana sachets into the hands of prisoners who were appearing before the court.
Prisoners try all sorts of ways to get drugs. There was an instance of marijuana being smuggled into prison by hiding it in bananas and sometimes in their private parts. Jail officials however claim that prisons are drug free and there is no way a prisoner can sneak drugs into the prison.
Nampally police arrested the two as they were handing over the ganja to a prisoner. Syed Younus and Mohd Khaleel Uddin, both 23, were arrested for possession of a narcotic drug.
The two men reportedly confessed to the police that they intended to give the drug to an undertrial prisoner, booked in a dacoity case registered in Kalapathar police station limits, who is currently lodged in Chanchalguda prison. They were to slip the packets to the prisoner during the unofficial mulakat, and were well informed of the date of hearing of the case.
R. Srikanth Reddy Sub Inspector of Nampally police said, “We have seized six ganja packets from Syed Younus and five packets from Mohd Khaleel Uddin. A case under section 8(C) with respect to 20(b) has been registered against the accused.” B. Arjun Rao, jail superintendent, Chanchalguda prison said, “Intense frisking is done during exit and entry. During the case hearing the City Armed Reserve staff ensures there is no interaction with local public. Besides, jail authorities use body metal detectors and also sometimes do a strip search. There is no way a prisoner can sneak a drug into the prison.”
DGP Telangana Prisons, V.K. Singh added, “It is very difficult to pass on ganja to a jail inmate. During mulakats also there will be a glass which separates the jail inmates and the visitors. Generally if someone goes for court attendance some carelessness is noticed. Drug abuse inside the prison is very difficult. At the time of admission, the prisoner will be thoroughly frisked and strip search will be conducted in a closed space. The chances are very less. Mobiles and other articles can be detected through metal detector. However unlike mobiles, for ganja we are left with only one option and that is physical search.”
Talking about the various tricks adopted by prisoners to smuggle drugs into jails, he added, “Earlier they were cases of drugs being smuggled in fruits especially bananas. Drugs were found in the prisoners’ private parts too.”
