A 27-year-old, Akshay K from Panankavu, Puthiyatheru, was arrested on Sunday for attempting to smuggle a mobile phone and beedi packets into Kannur Central Jail, police reported. Two accomplices escaped and are now being pursued by authorities, with their identities confirmed for imminent arrest.

According to the FIR, Akshay and his associates trespassed into the jail compound, intending to throw the contraband over the perimeter wall. Alert prison wardens foiled the attempt, apprehending Akshay while his companions fled.

The seized items included a mobile phone, beedi packets, and other tobacco products, prompting a case under Section 329(3) (criminal trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 86(1) of the Kerala Prisons and Correctional Services (Management) Act for introducing prohibited items into a jail.

Akshay was interrogated and released on bail, while police investigate the intended recipient inside the high-security facility. This incident follows a pattern of smuggling attempts at Kannur Central Jail, with five mobile phones recovered in the past month, some believed to have been tossed over the walls.

The jail’s security came under scrutiny after the July 2025 escape of Govindachamy, convicted in the 2011 Soumya rape and murder case, who was recaptured after a manhunt. Recent inspections revealed a non-functional electric fence, prompting enhanced security measures.

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Authorities are intensifying efforts to identify smuggling networks linked to inmates, with a focus on preventing further breaches in the facility housing high-profile convicts.

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