Assam Police have arrested four employees of the Sribhumi District Jail for allegedly facilitating the entry of mobile phones and narcotic substances into the correctional facility, officials said on Wednesday.
The arrested individuals include two assistant jailers and two warders. They have been identified as Rudra Deori, Subhasish Ghosh, Masid Ali Laskar and Biswajit Baruah.
The arrests follow an extensive investigation launched after a surprise raid conducted at the district jail on February 2. During the operation, authorities recovered 29 mobile phones, along with SIM cards, chargers and several other prohibited items from different sections of the prison.
The raid was carried out based on intelligence inputs suggesting that some inmates were maintaining regular communication with individuals outside the jail and were allegedly coordinating activities from within the correctional facility.
Following the recovery of the contraband items, police initiated a detailed probe to determine how such a large quantity of banned materials had entered the prison despite existing security measures.
Investigators reportedly analysed call records linked to the seized mobile phones, tracked communication networks and questioned several individuals connected to the case. The inquiry subsequently revealed the alleged involvement of jail staff in facilitating the smuggling of prohibited items into the prison.
Based on evidence collected during the investigation, police arrested the four jail employees. Officials said the accused are currently being interrogated and further investigation is underway.
Authorities are also examining whether additional individuals were part of the network responsible for supplying mobile phones, narcotics and other banned items to inmates.
Police said steps are being taken to strengthen security arrangements inside prisons and prevent similar breaches in the future.
The case has drawn renewed attention to security concerns within Assam’s correctional facilities. Earlier, law enforcement agencies had conducted a similar search operation at Dibrugarh Central Jail, where electronic devices were recovered during a special inspection linked to the detention of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh.