Inmates at Chittagong Central Jail are using unusual methods to smuggle yaba pills into the prison, including swallowing capsules wrapped in black tape and retrieving them after entering the facility.
The practice poses a serious health risk, as a capsule bursting inside an inmate's stomach could prove fatal. To prevent drug smuggling, jail authorities have intensified searches at three levels and begun keeping suspected smugglers separate from other inmates for at least two days.
According to jail sources, more than 500 drug consignments were seized at the prison between January and October this year, resulting in the recovery of 15,550 yaba pills.
Of the incidents, 44 involved large consignments and led to cases being filed with Kotwali police station. The pills were recovered from 44 inmates, including three women and 41 men. Disciplinary action was taken in other cases under prison regulations.
Jail authorities said the 15,550 yaba pills were recovered from 311 capsules over the 10-month period.
Drug use inside the prison is also a concern, with several inmates caught consuming narcotics. Officials suspect an organised network is facilitating drug smuggling and consumption within the facility.
Chittagong Central Jail Jailer Syed Shah Sharif said inmates swallow yaba capsules before entering the prison, while some attempt to conceal drugs in their rectums and other parts of their bodies. "Two to three drug consignments of varying sizes are intercepted almost every day. Numerous consignments have been seized over the past 10 months," he said.
He said searches had been intensified across prison wards and cells, with inmates undergoing multiple rounds of body searches before entry. "Officers check inmates from their mouths to different parts of their bodies. No one is allowed inside after just one search. They are screened at several points, both inside and outside the prison," he added.
Chittagong Central Jail Senior Jail Superintendent Md Iqbal Hossain said detecting drugs concealed inside the stomach through manual searches remained difficult. "Nevertheless, searches are conducted at three levels, starting at the prison entrance. Even a single Yaba capsule bursting inside an inmate's stomach could prove fatal," he said.
He added that cases were filed with the police station over major consignments, while disciplinary measures were taken in cases involving smaller quantities.
Kotwali police station Officer-in-Charge Zahedul Kabir said cases involving drug seizures inside the prison were being investigated seriously and necessary legal action was being taken.
Meanwhile, overcrowding has made drug control increasingly difficult at the prison. Against an official capacity of 2,249 inmates, the facility currently houses around 7,700, more than three times its capacity. At least 3,500 inmates are accused in cases under the Narcotics Control Act.
Prisons Department Chittagong Division Deputy Inspector General Md Sagir Mia said a dedicated narcotics prison was needed in the region. Keeping drug-addicted inmates and those accused in narcotics cases separate from ordinary prisoners would facilitate rehabilitation and help prevent the spread of drug use among other inmates, he said.
