In a significant security breach, police in North Goa arrested three men and detained a minor for attempting to smuggle ganja into the high-security Central Jail at Colvale. The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, when alert security personnel discovered seven packets of ganja—weighing approximately 1.397 kilograms and valued at ₹1.4 lakh—within a passage between two watchtowers inside the jail premises.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the contraband was hurled over the compound wall by four individuals: Gautam Talwar, Samuel Pujari, and Jaffer Mulla, all residents of Mapusa, along with a minor accomplice. The group allegedly aimed to supply the drugs to inmates within the facility. Following standard legal procedure, the minor was presented before the Juvenile Justice Board and released to the custody of his parents, with further directives for appearance.
The swift action by jail authorities, prompted by a vigilant sentry who spotted the package, led to the immediate arrest of the three adult suspects and detention of the minor. All have been charged under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Rahul Gupta stated that the suspects had concealed the ganja in small bundles designed to be discreetly thrown over the jail’s high-security perimeter wall, with the intended recipients being inmates. The case has raised fresh alarms about the reach of drug networks in Goa, with opposition leaders criticizing the state government's inability to curb narcotics trafficking—even within protected zones like prisons.
Law enforcement agencies have reiterated their commitment to tackling the drug menace, pledging heightened vigilance and tighter security protocols to prevent future incidents of this nature.