On Punjab Police’s radar, drug smuggling networks functioning from jails

DGP Gaurav Yadav said preliminary probe reveals that the syndicate was being operated from Goindwal jail.

The bust comes on the heels of another drug syndicate being dismantled by Ferozepur Police on September 13 where it was found that the network was being run from Kapurthala jail.

The police had arrested one Sonu Singh, a resident of Habibwala in Ferozepur and recovered 15.7 kg heroin from his possession. While the network was run from a jail by a group of inmates, the arrested accused had no criminal background.

DGP Yadav, citing preliminary investigation, had said that the drug network was operated by an accused currently lodged in Kapurthala jail, while the consignment was sent by Pakistan-based smugglers.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior police officer who is involved in the ongoing ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ campaign of the state government said that a disturbing aspect of the ‘drug epidemic’ is the operation of syndicates from within prisons, where incarcerated smugglers and gangsters coordinate supplies, finances, and distribution using smuggled mobile phones with the aid of “corrupt officials”.

“This issue not only sustains the drug trade but also undermines prison reforms and public safety. Certain reports indicate that drug smuggling and consumption occur in at least 15 of Punjab’s 24 functional jails, with over 42 per cent of inmates accused or convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. This high incarceration rate for narcotics offenses paradoxically turns prisons into hubs for organized crime,” the officer said.

Prisons in Punjab have been on the radar of investigating agencies and from time to time raids and surprise checks have been conducted to nab the members of drug cartels.

In July 2024, at least 200 repeat-offender inmates running drug rackets were shifted to Bathinda Central Jail’s ‘dead zone’ (no mobile signal) to disrupt operations. This followed intelligence on Pakistan-sourced supplies. In June 2025, the Punjab government suspended 25 jail officials, including three Deputy Superintendents, for aiding drug syndicates — an action which was part of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s anti-corruption drive.

In 2023 Amritsar police, in collaboration with Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad, busted a network manufacturing intoxicant tablets in pharma units in Uttar Pradesh (Hapur) and Gujarat (Ahmedabad). Coordinated from Goindwal Sahib and Mansa Jails by inmates like Major Singh and Yogesh Kumar (alias Rinku), the racket involved fake firms like Elichem Pharma.

Another bust took place the same year when Counter Intelligence busted a Pakistan-linked syndicate run by Jaspreet Singh alias Kali from Faridkot Jail. Seven smugglers were arrested with 15 kg heroin, using drones for cross-border delivery. Kali had maintained contact with Pakistani handlers despite incarceration.

Police officials say corruption among jail staff enables phone access and smuggling, turning prisons into command centers. “The high NDPS inmate population creates a cycle: addicts become traffickers, and jails amplify this. Economically, it fuels extortion and arms smuggling,” the officer said.

Punjab Jails Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar did not respond to phone calls and text messages.

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