Punjab mulls geo-mapping tech to check mobile phones in jails
PK Jaiswar
Amritsar, June 21
The state government is contemplating to introduce geo-mapping technology to check smuggling of mobile phones inside central and sub jails.
1,200 cell phones seized in 3 months
- As many as 1,210 mobile phones were confiscated from state jails in the past three months alone as compared to around 1,700 phones seized in 2021
- According to a report, the number of phones and SIM cards seized from jails jumped from 700 in 2014 to over 1,700 in 2021
Though a recent change in the strategy led to manifold increase in confiscation of mobile phones and other prohibited materials, regular seizures expose chinks in security of jails. As many as 1,210 mobile phones were confiscated from state jails in the past three months alone as compared to around 1,700 phones seized in 2021.
According to a report, the number of phones and SIM cards seized from state jails jumped from 700 in 2014 to over 1,700 in 2021.
In the Amritsar Central Jail, that also houses infamous gangsters, cross-border drug smugglers and foreign prisoners, around 500 mobile phones have been recovered since January i.e. around four to five mobile phones in a day. While, around 350 mobile phones were seized from here last year.
Though a majority of mobile phones were China-made keypad phones, a number of touchscreen phones of various brands were also seized. Modified/assembled mobile chargers and headphones and narcotic substances have also been seized from the Central Jail. As many as 150 prisoners were booked by the police in these seizures.
According to information, at present, there are about 3,300 prisoners lodged in the Amritsar Central Jail against the capacity of around 2,200 prisoners.
Jail Superintendent Surinder Singh said though he couldn’t reveal about the strategy, number of surprise checks had increased. The jail authorities are also using metal detectors during search operations to find cellphones hidden in different parts of the jail. Around 10-member teams of central forces and jail staff search the barracks thoroughly.
Using of phones by notorious criminals, including gangsters and drug traffickers, to run their networks from jails is rampant. This also came to light during investigations in killing of Sidhu Moosewala wherein gangsters lodged in three jails were in touch with each other and planned the murder. Security and intelligence agencies had written to higher authorities for checking the menace.
Jail Minister Harjot Singh Bains said: “We are bringing in technology of geo-mapping for stemming the problem. With the help of geo-mapping technology, the system will capture signals of mobile phones being used in jail complexes and detect the location of the user,” he said.
