In a major security breach at a West Bengal prison, authorities seized three iPhones, two Wi-Fi routers, a pen drive, an earphone and Rs 31,000 in cash from the cell of Aftab Ansari, the convicted mastermind of the 2002 American Center attack in Kolkata. The raid came after intelligence inputs suggested Ansari was operating a full communication network from inside the jail.
Intelligence Led to Targeted Raid on Terrorist Cell
A prison officer confirmed that intelligence reports had flagged Ansari’s suspected use of mobile phones and internet access within the facility. The raid was conducted specifically to verify these inputs. Officials found the devices hidden in his clothes and bedding during the search. Investigators are now checking if Ansari made calls to his overseas contacts from the prison.
2002 Attack That Killed Five People
Ansari was the mastermind behind the American Center shooting on January 22, 2002, in Kolkata. Two bike-borne gunmen opened fire at the center, killing five people including police constables and injuring 20 others. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the attack.
CM Shubhendu Adhikari Had Warned of Jail Network
Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari had raised the issue on May 15 at a press conference at the Nabanna secretariat. He stated that smartphones were being widely used inside prisons and that a section of jail officials was complicit. Criminal networks across the state were operating from within jail premises, he said. The crackdown continues as part of a broader effort to dismantle jail-based operations.
Earlier Suspensions Over Phone Scandal
The jail superintendent and chief controller were suspended months ago after allegations surfaced about inmates using mobile phones inside the complex. Officials said at least 23 mobile phones have been seized from prisons so far. This latest raid on Ansari’s cell confirms the scale of the security problem inside West Bengal’s correctional facilities.
