This article examines the effectiveness of collaboration between investigative agencies in combating drug-related crime in penal institutions. Particular attention is paid to the problem of drug infiltration in correctional facilities, analysis of methods of concealment and delivery, and the need for an interagency approach to identifying and eliminating channels for the entry of illicit substances. Objective: to study the problems of interaction between subjects of operational investigative activities in combating illegal drug trafficking in penal institutions, to determine the importance of coordinated interdepartmental work to identify and suppress channels of their entry. Research methods: The study relied on a dialectical approach to understanding drug-related crime as a complex socio-legal phenomenon, as well as general and specific scientific methods: analysis, synthesis, generalization, formal legal methods, and comparative legal methods. A statistical method was used to examine data on drug-related crimes in penal institutions. A method of analyzing law enforcement practices was employed to examine judicial decisions and materials reflecting the methods of drug trafficking in correctional facilities. Conclusions: It is demonstrated that drug trafficking in penal institutions cannot be viewed solely as an internal problem within a particular correctional facility. Attempts to smuggle drugs often involve external organizers, intermediaries, communication channels, and other participants in the criminal scheme. Therefore, effective counteraction to drug-related crime requires coordinated collaboration between operational units of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, investigative agencies, and other law enforcement agencies. The scientific significance of this article lies in its examination of drug-related crime in penal institutions through the lens of interactions between operational investigative agencies and the identification of problems in coordinating their responsibilities. The practical significance lies in its substantiation of the need to shift from responding to isolated drug seizures to systematic efforts to identify and eliminate drug trafficking channels in correctional institutions.