CHENNAI: Police have launched search for a youth who tried to smuggle ganja and painkiller tablets to prison inmates by hiding the contraband in a packet of rusk while visiting a prisoner.

On Wednesday afternoon, the visitor, M Sathishkumar of Redhills had given few packets of bread, rusk to the authorities and fled the scene.

The police constable, Umashankar who went through the packed food items checked the packet of rusk on suspicion and found 8 grams of ganja and five nitravet painkiller tablets inside.

Investigations revealed that the package was meant for D Pratheepraj (23) of Kannagi Nagar, an undertrial prisoner. Prison officials interrogated Pratheepraj and found out that two other inmates, K Nagaraj (23) and A Ajay (21) had arranged for the package to be delivered in the name of Pratheepraj and Pratheep was supposed to get it and give it to them.

Based on a complaint from Prison authorities, Puzhal police registered a case against Sathishkumar on Thursday and booked the three other inmates on a fresh case.

Further investigations are on.