CHENNAI: A Saturday morning raid at the Salem Central Prison involving over 90 police officers, a few prison wardens, and 50 prison guards caused a stir among the prisoners.

The surprise raid action came after a tip-off that some of the prisoners were smuggling and storing ganja and mobile phones inside the jail with the help of relatives and friends, said a Maalaimalar report. More than 800 prisoners are lodged in Salem Central Prison including history sheeters from Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri districts.

During the raids, the authorities searched as many as 19 prison blocks, including cells, the hospital, and the canteen to determine if any items like cell phones, chargers, SIM cards, and ganja were buried in the ground. They also perused the CCTV footage inside the jail premises, the report added.

Additionally, a police team conducted searches at the nearby women's prison.

But it is said that no contraband items were found in the raid. The police have however warned prisoners that similar searches will be conducted frequently in the future.