Four teams of police officers led by Commissioner of Police T.G. Krishna Bhat conducted a surprise check the central prison in Hindalga in Belagavi on Sunday morning.
Deputy Commissioners of Police Seema Latkar and Amarnath Reddy entered the jail at daybreak and began a search and seizure operation. They confiscated drugs, weapons and other items illegally possessed by the inmates, a senior officer said.
The operation may go on till evening. Hindalga is among the biggest jails in the State with over 1,000 inmates. It houses mostly convicts, though there are some under-trials as well.
Following former DIG D. Roopa's report about irregularities in Parappana Agrahara jail, Hindalga officials had revealed how some inmates routinely tried to smuggle ganja and other banned substances into the jail.