MAPUSA: In a major crackdown on alleged security lapses inside prisons, the Goa Police conducted a massive raid at Colvale Central Jail on Saturday, uncovering a large cache of mobile phones, drugs and other prohibited items from multiple prison blocks. The extensive operation has once again raised serious questions over jail security, internal monitoring and prison administration. Sources informed that nearly 150 to 200 police personnel, including personnel from the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) and the Goa Armed Police, were deployed for the operation, which began in the morning and continued for several hours. Senior police officers personally supervised the raid inside the jail premises. The raid was led by In spector General of Prisons Chaurasia, and was conducted in the presence of North Goa Superintendent of Police Harish Madkaikar, SP Crime North Vishram Borkar, and SP (Prisons) Sucheta Desai. Several other senior officers, including Mapusa PI Navin Desai, PI Nikhil Palekar, PI Sanjit Kandolkar, and Colvale PI, were also present during the operation.
Contraband recovered from multiple jail blocks: During the intensive search, police recovered mobile phones from various blocks, indicating wide-spread misuse of prohibited items inside the prison. The block-wise recovery is as follows:
Convict Block: 3 mobile phones
Mess Block: 2 mobile phones
NDPS Block: 7 mobile phones
New Admission Block: 4 mobile phones
Block 4: 12 mobile phones
Block 3: 5 mobile phones
Punishment Block: 2 mobile phones
Undertrial Block: 9 mobile phones
Ladies Block: 4 mobile phones
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In addition to mobile phones, police seized mobile chargers, fast-charging data cables, power banks, Bluetooth earbuds, and other electronic accessories, suggesting an organised system of illegal communication within the jail.
The raid also led to the seizure of smoking tobacco, chewing tobacco mixed with chuna, cigarette packets, and narcotic substances including weed (ganja) and charas, further compounding concerns over the availability of drugs inside the high-security prison. Officials stated that the presence of such items inside different blocks, including NDPS and undertrial sections, points towards serious breaches of prison security protocols.
As an immediate corrective measure, all charging points inside the jail were removed on the directions
of IG Prisons Chaurasia, with priority given to preventing further use of electronic devices by inmates. Authorities said this step was taken to curb the misuse of mobile phones and related accessories within the prison.
The raid comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Colvale Central Jail following strong observations made recently by the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court, which had expressed grave concern over the alleged availability of mobile phones and contraband items inside. the jail. Officials indicated that further investigations are underway to determine how such large quantities of prohibited items entered the prison, and whether there was internal negligence or collusion. Departmental action against responsible personnel is expected based on the findings.
