A team of officials on Monday conducted a surprise raid on the Circle Jail here during which a huge cache of drugs and cash was seized.
As per reports, the raid was conducted in the presence of IG (Southern Range) Amitabh Thakur, District Collector Prem Chand Choudhary, SP Asish Singh and jail officials.
The team seized six mobile phones, three SIM cards, 17 packets of powdered ganja, 80 cigarette packets, 1,200 gutkha packets, cash of Rs 90,000 cash, two knives, 17 cigarette lighters, 200 beedi packets, a ceiling fan and a table fan.
The raids were carried out in the cells, including the one in which former Sanakhemundi Congress MlA Ramesh Jena is lodged. Four fans, cash, and cigarette packets were seized from Jena’s cell, sources said.
“We had information of the inmates possessing banned substances. For this, a surprise raid was conducted. A huge cache of cash and intoxicants has been seized. We will initiate action against those involved in it. Cash, contrabands and cigarettes were seized from Ramesh Jena’s cell,” IG Thakur said.
It may be mentioned that the jail here houses many high-profile criminals and under-trial prisoners including Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda.