Tihar Jail officials are likely to use non-linear junction detectors (NLJDs) as part of measures to check smuggling of mini cell phones mostly measuring not more than 5 cm into the country’s largest prison complex, according to officials aware of the development. Hand-held NLJD devices are used to detect bugs and other forms of electronic devices.
Jail authorities have also sought anti-bird nets to cover walls around the prison to prevent cell phones from being flung from outside the jail complex, and 16 more metal pole detectors at the entrance.
Officials said a prisoner lodged in Tihar’s Mandoli campus was caught with a mini phone in the latest such incident. At least 19 seizures of this nature were made last month. Prisoners even swallowed mini phones in two cases and had to be operated upon at two city hospitals to remove them on August 12 and 24.
Officials said the jail administration will test NLJD devices soon. “An NLJD device can detect any electronic circuit even if it is switched off. As a pilot project, we will use it in one of the prisons in the Tihar complex. Depending on the results, we may buy more such detectors and use them across the entire prison complex,” said a jail officer.
Officials said the jail administration has made it a priority to immediately find ways to stop this menace as prisoners have been successfully sneaking in mini cellphones into the prison. Chinese companies make a majority of the mini phones, which are easily available on e-commerce sites and cost less than Rs. 900. Other commonly used phones such as Redmi Note 7 Pro, Apple iPhone XS, and OnePlus 7 measure about 15 cm.
Cell phones are prohibited inside the prison, where prisoners are allowed to use landline phones to talk to their families for five minutes. The calls are automatically disconnected after five minutes. Prisoners are allowed to call only after jail officers verify numbers they are making phone calls to.
Officials say prisoners have used cell phones to run their gangs from inside the prison. In May, the Delhi Police said they prevented a spate of murders by arresting two men allegedly tasked by jailed gangster Chanderbhan with eliminating his rivals. The police said that Chanderbhan used cell phones from inside the prison to run an extortion racket.
Officials said they have written to the Public Works Department (PWD) seeking anti-bird nets. “We tried using nets at one of the prisons, but the holes in them were big, and were not trapping the mini phones. Only the bigger ones were stuck. We have spoken to the PWD to get anti-birds nets that have minute holes. They will be tied around the prison walls,” another prison officer said.
The prison department is purchasing 16 more metal pole detectors as well to help officials check whether prisoners are carrying any form of metal. The prison currently has 20 metal pole detectors.
