Team Herald
VASCO: Taking serious note of the rising drug abuse in the port town, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida has slammed the police department for failing to control drug abuse by the youth from Vasco.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Almeida claimed that, he received several complaints from Vasco locals, especially from parents, about the high use of drugs by school and college going students after which he also alerted the police. However, the situation never improved due to police failure to control the same, he said.
“I am actually frustrated and disappointed with the way police have been handling the issue of drug menace, due to which drug abuse by youth is increasing in Vasco. It is the duty of the police to find out the source and arrest the culprits. But the police failed to take action, due to which drugs are now available in Vasco more openly than any other parts of state,” Almeida said.
“What irks me most is the fact that, during several meetings with the police personnel, I have personally given them all the details of areas including New Vaddem, Mangoor, Khariwado, Baina where the local youth gather during the day as well as at night to consume drugs. Further, I know of few cases wherein some children have even stolen money or gold ornaments from their houses to purchase drugs. Some even got involved in the trade, but still the police have been unable to intensify their patrolling or intensify their vigil in such areas, for reasons best known to them,” the MLA said.
Almeida suspects that the police are having some links with the drug peddlers in the town, if not, he said, such activities cannot flourish in Vasco and that too so openly.
If the police had managed to find the source of drugs and had arrested the culprits involved, then, automatically the situation would have improved, he said adding, “Since I see no action from the police on drug the menace, I have decided to raise the issue in the forthcoming monsoon assembly session.”
