‘Op Prahaar’ war on drugs yields 18 arrests, Rs 40L haul

Panaji: Goa police launched ‘Operation Prahaar’ to destroy the narcotics trade in the state, arresting 18 persons and seizing drugs worth Rs 40 lakh in North Goa in the first two months of 2025.
Of the 18 arrested, 10 are non-Goans, seven are Goans, and one is a foreigner.
As part of the police force’s efforts to crack down on the narcotics trade, special police teams have been formed at the police station level to exclusively work on the collection of intelligence on the drug influx, North Goa SP Akshat Kaushal said.
“These teams achieved exceptional success by booking 19 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act from the beginning of 2025 to date and seized substantial quantities of different types of narcotic drugs weighing 16kg worth Rs 40 lakh,” Kaushal said.
He added, “This week, an NDPS case was booked each day — by the Calangute police station (Monday), the Mandrem police station, the Colvale police station (Tuesday), the Anjuna police station (Wednesday), and the Mapusa police station (Thursday).”
Moreover, Kaushal said, “Since the beginning of the year, we have been working on collecting ground-level intelligence to catch persons dealing with drugs. As part of this effort, we launched Operation Prahaar to attack all drug peddlers. Going forward, we will continue to work to maintain a strong grip on all persons who are involved in narcotics cases.”