CCTV footage helps police nab 4 after Rs 1.4 lakh drug consignment lands near watch towers
MAPUSA
In a dramatic twist to a daring attempt to smuggle drugs into the Central Jail at Colvale, police have arrested three young men and detained a minor after a suspicious consignment was spotted by a vigilant jail sentry.
Later in the evening, the JMFC court remanded the three accused to five days of police custody.
The incident, which unfolded on the night of June 14, involved a clandestine operation allegedly aimed at delivering Ganja (cannabis) to inmates inside the high-security facility using a rope and tree to fling packets/balls over the prison walls.
Colvale police have identified the three arrested individuals as Gautam Rajendra Talwar (24) and Samuel Premkumar Pujari (24), both from Ansabhat, Mapusa, and Jaffer Noor Ahemad Mulla (24) of Ganga Nagar, Khorlim, Mapusa.
In addition, a minor boy was involved in the attempted smuggling.
He was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and later released into the custody of his parents, with a directive to ensure his presence before the board for future proceedings.
According to police sources, the accused had prepared seven round balls, each containing a dried greenish leafy and flowery substance with fruiting tops, suspected to be ganja.
The total weight of the consignment was 1.397 kg, with an estimated street value of Rs 1.4 lakh.
The gang had planned the delivery by tying the balls to a rope hung from a tall tree near the prison’s rear wall, intending to lob the packets over and land them near the cells of target inmates. However, the plan misfired.
The consignment instead landed between the inner and outer cordon of the prison compound, near Watch Towers No 3 and 4.
Police Constable Prashant Naik, stationed at Watch Tower No 3, noticed the suspicious brown-coloured balls lying in the passage area and immediately reported the matter to his superiors.
On June 15, the Deputy Superintendent of Central Jail, Colvale, lodged an official complaint with the Colvale Police.
Colvale Police initiated a detailed investigation, examining CCTV footage and conducting technical surveillance. Their efforts paid off, leading to the identification and subsequent arrest of the three accused and the detention of the minor.
The police have registered a case under Section 20(b)(ii)(B) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Further investigation is ongoing to ascertain the intended recipient(s) of the consignment inside the jail and whether more individuals were involved in the operation.
