Nine mobile phones used to peddle drugs seized from Khordha jail, seven arrested

Khordha police recovered nine mobile phones from the inmates of Khordha jail which were reportedly used to peddle illegal drugs in the town and beyond.

The police have arrested seven accused, including a woman, on charges of supplying mobile phones inside the jail and peddling brown sugar in Khordha town.

The illegal activity came to the fore after the police took four hardened criminals from jail on a two-day remand following the recovery of a mobile phone from them. After interrogating them, the police raided Khordha jail and recovered nine more mobile phones.

Speaking to reports about the recovery, Khordha SDPO Dilip Das said, “During the interrogation, they (accused on remand) revealed there are some mobile phones in the jail which are operated by their gang members from inside the jail. We had submitted a requisition to the Jailer. With his help, we recovered nine mobile phones from the jail.”

“We have arrested seven more accused by analysing the call details from these phones. They were supplying SIM cards, phones and other logistics to their gang members inside the jail. We are continuing our probe in this connection,” Das said.

It is pertinent to mention here that more than 100 brown sugar peddlers and dealers are currently lodged in Khordha jail. Recovery of mobile phones from them has raised serious concerns about the efficacy of their jail term.