Heroin seized from jail staffer in Faridkot

Heroin was allegedly recovered from a security staff member deployed at the Central Modern Jail in Faridkot during a routine security check, prompting police to register a case against two persons under the NDPS Act and Jail Act, officials said on Saturday.

According to police, the accused was allegedly attempting to smuggle the contraband inside the prison for supply to an undertrial inmate lodged in the jail.

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The incident came to light during a routine frisking process conducted while jail staff were entering the prison premises for duty. During the checking, Head Constable Karanbir Singh allegedly recovered around seven grams of heroin from Jaswinder Singh, an employee associated with PASCO and deployed for security duties at the jail.

The recovery has once again raised questions over security arrangements inside the high-security Faridkot Central Jail, which has remained under scrutiny in the past over similar incidents.

Tarlochan Singh said the police received a formal complaint from the Assistant Superintendent of the Central Jail following the recovery.

He said preliminary questioning conducted by the jail administration revealed that the heroin was allegedly meant to be delivered to undertrial prisoner Gagandeep Singh, who is lodged in Block-1, Barrack No. 1 of the prison.

Based on the complaint, the Punjab Police registered a case at the City Faridkot police station against Jaswinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act and the Jail Act.

DSP Tarlochan Singh said both accused would soon be brought on production warrants for detailed interrogation to ascertain whether similar supplies had been made earlier and to identify the source of the narcotics. He added that further investigation into the supply chain was underway.