Two bags of tobacco seized in raid on Balasore jail

Balasore: In a surprise raid, police seized two bags of tobacco from the District Jail here in the wee hours today.

Giving details to the media, Amaresh Panda, DSP (Crime), Balasore, said considering that some high-profile criminals are now lodged in the District Jail, the Superintendent of Police decided to conduct a surprise raid on the jail late on Wednesday night.

A joint team of police and district officials, led by the SP, Balasore, Additional SP, Sadar SDPO, DSP (Crime), Additional District Magistrate (ADM), IICs of five police stations and their subordinate police officers with three platoons of police force, began the raid at about 2 AM and continued till 4 AM.

“During the two-hour raid, we searched the nook and corner of the jail, including each cell, and found several gutkha pouches, cigarette, bidi, lighters and match boxes lying scattered. Police collected nearly two bagfuls of these articles,” he said.

The DSP, however, said police did not find other objectionable items like mobile phones, SIM cards, arms and ammunition during the raid.

“It was a routine check to ensure that the inmates do not bring in any objectionable items into the jail on their own or by their near and dear ones,” he pointed out.