Ferozepur racket: Probing jail calls, cops track 4.2K numbers, 5K transactions
Jupinderjit Singh
Chandigarh, January 18
Nearly 5,000 bank transactions and calls to over 4,200 different numbers are found to have been made using phones recovered from three drug smugglers in connection with the 43,000 phone call case of the Ferozepur jail.
The police are currently carrying out a mammoth investigation to identify each caller and recipient of money in an attempt to zero in on smugglers and trace the drug money.
“We are trying to ascertain the number of calls made to family, friends and drugs smugglers. The money transactions could be meant to bribe jail officials or pay for drugs,” said a police official privy to the investigation.
The case had come to light in November last year when the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while hearing a bail application, sought a report on the use of mobile phones and smuggling of drugs in the jail.
Acting on the court directions to investigate how more than 43,000 calls were made from inside the jail from phones used illegally by the three smugglers, the police had booked 25 persons, including 11 jail officials. Nineteen persons, including nine jail officials, besides some peddlers, a mobile shop owner and a tea stall owner have been arrested.
At the centre of the racket so far is 32-year-old smuggler Sonu, alias Tiddi, and his accomplice Raj Kumar, alias Raju. It is alleged both ran a drug smuggling racket from the jail premises besides using phones illegally.
Ascertaining drug link
We are trying to ascertain the number of calls made to family, friends and drugs smugglers. The money could be meant to bribe jail officials or pay for drugs. — A police official
