Since ’20, Goa police arrested 1k for alleged drug-cases link

Panaji: Goa police have arrested nearly a thousand people since 2020 for their alleged involvement in the narcotics trade. Over this five-and-a-half year period, drugs worth over Rs 80 crore were seized, with the largest of these hauls taking place this year, with drugs worth Rs over 43 crore being confiscated since Jan.Goa police also destroyed drugs worth Rs 6 crore since 2020 (apart from 2024). They also registered 813 FIRs in narcotics cases, and seized drugs, mostly ganja, but also MDMA, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, hydroponic ganja, methamphetamine, and charas.Goa police said that there is no evidence that drug supply has increased in the state. However, due to greater inter-agency coordination and effective intelligence, the drugs seizures have increased. Police said that district police personnel, crime branch, and the anti-narcotics cell are always on the field, conducting raids after receiving specific information, and cases are booked as per provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.Listing out the proactive steps they’re taking, Goa police said that day and night police patrolling is being done to collect intelligence. Integrated nakabandis have also been devised at specific points, and police staff are deployed for checking. Bars, restaurants, and shacks along the coastal area are also subjected to surprise checks.“Patrolling is maintained through beat staff, PCR vehicles, and motorcycles at places having a high footfall of tourists,” said Goa police.This April, 4.3 kg of cocaine worth over Rs 43 crore was seized at Chicolna, Mormugao, one of the biggest-ever single-day drug hauls by Goa police. Three individuals, including a woman, were arrested, and police suspect the drugs were brought to Goa from Thailand to be sold in the local market.A week later, Goa police arrested a 29-year-old resident of Palakkad, Kerala, Mohammad Sameer, for being in alleged possession of over 110g of high micro-LSD liquid worth Rs 11 crore. Sameer, a BBA graduate who was living in Goa for the past five years, was running a guesthouse at Baga and arranged for taxis for his guests.Earlier, in March, Goa police seized drugs worth Rs 11.6 crore and arrested a 23-year-old Bengaluru resident for allegedly illegally possessing over 11kg of hydroponic weed (ganja). Police said the man brought drugs from Nepal to India and that the crime branch busted an international drug racket.