Kannur (Ker) | Kerala Police have intensified their probe to nab a convict who escaped from the central jail here on Sunday morning.

Authorities suspect the involvement of the drug mafia in the jailbreak of Harshad, who was serving time for smuggling the synthetic drug MDMA.

Prison authorities discovered that he had escaped only 30 minutes after it happened, and it is believed that the convict fled the state, reportedly on a bike waiting outside the jail, police sources said.

There are suspicions of a well-planned jailbreak, with Harshad allegedly using his newspaper collection routine as a cover, they said.

CCTV footage of his escape has been released.

The lapse in security at the central jail is being attributed to the absence of adequate staff.

The jail superintendent has filed a complaint with Kannur town police, and a report on the incident has been submitted to the jail DGP.