FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Understanding where the problem lies is perhaps the best way to solve the problem. The head of the Goa Police, in his pursuit of drugs and drug dealers, believes that the presence of drugs can be expected in a popular beach tourist destination where people bring in substances for their personal recreational consumption.
But then he also says that the quantity of drugs seized in 2022 is three times that of 2021. Would this mean that three times more tourists are coming into Goa, all carrying some drugs for recreational purposes, without any mafia or gangs operating at all? So, are these drugs all being carried by the tourists themselves or miraculously found in Goa without any mafia or gang supplying them?
What would you like to believe?
On the other hand, Herald has meticulously followed the sustained, relentless pursuit of cases against purported drug dealers and suppliers filed by the Hyderabad Police’s Narcotics Enforcement Wing ( H- NEW) which has arrested and re-arrested high-profile nightlife stakeholders of Goa who carried out their businesses unhindered till now, who have been identified as kingpins of Goa’s drug trade. The detailed findings of the H-NEW, documented extensively would be enough to fly in the face of the Goa Police’s claim of drug activity here being purely recreational.
Would you like to believe this?
We are presenting the Hyderabad Police’s findings and documentation to simply arm you with more information to reach your own conclusions.
In August 2022, Goa-based “Interstate drug peddler” Priteesh Narayan Borkar @ Babu @ Khali s/o Narayan Borkar (Late), Age: 36 Yrs., Occ: Drug Supplier, r/o H. No. 807, St. Antony Prais Waddo, Anjuna Bardez, Goa was apprehended by H- NEW.
The Dy. Commissioner of Police East Zone, Hyderabad in an extensive note stated
“To earn easy money, he developed contact with one Manzoor Ahmed, R/o Goa and together they started procuring the drugs i.e., Ecstasy Pills, LSD Blots, MDMA and Charas in bulk quantities from 1. Thukaram Salgovkar @ Nana, 2. Vikas Naik @ Vicky, 3. Ramesh Chowhan, 4. Steve, 5. Edwin Nunis and 6. Sanja Gowekar for a lesser price and the same was sold to the needy persons for a higher price. For 8 years these persons are selling drugs in Anjuna Beach and in Telangana & AP States. The accused Priteesh Narayan Borkar @ Babu @ Khali was also caught red-handed by the Panjim Narcotics Department for which a case in Cr. No.26/2014 under NDPS Act was registered against him.
This is not all. Edwin Nunes, the head honcho of the controversial Curlies restaurant and Steve D’Souza stated to be the owner of the Hilltop party venue in Vagator were then initially arrested based on Priteesh Borkar’s interrogation.
On December 9, C V Anand, Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad issued a preventive detention order against Edwin Nunes, who had secured conditional bail and got released from prison, In the detention order against Nunes ( s/o Joseph Nunes, aged about 45 years, Occ: Business, r/o H.No. 774, St. Michael Waddo, Anjuna, North Goa, Goa, a Drug Offender of Ramgopalpet Police Station), Police Commissioner Hyderabad stated (Herald has a copy of this order) that Edwin Nunes “has been habitually peddling “narcotic drugs” in the limits of Hyderabad Police Commissionerate and in Goa State. He is on inter-State drug peddler running Curlies shack restaurant and 2 other hotels in Goa and attracting hundreds of customers especially the youth, to his restaurant by providing narcotic drugs. In the recent past, he is involved in 4 cases of drug peddling. He is having a network of more than 2,000 consumers who are in different parts of the country. He started his career as a waiter, then became a bartender, and now runs 3 restaurants/hotels in Goa built with help of easy money earned through drug peddling. He attracts youth and visitors to his hotels by playing psychedelic music and supplying drugs. He uses the latest technology and IT tools to escape from the dragnet of police.”
Based on this note only, would Nunes have carried out these operations without a “gang” and would he only be a minor provider of recreational drugs for tourists? What would you believe?
Pritesh Borkar also got bail but was re-arrested under the Preventive Detention Act. In the detention order C V Anand, Police Commissioner Hyderabad states, “The detenu Priteesh Narayan Borkar @ Babu @ Khali is an inter-State drug peddler from Goa state. He is having more than 600 consumers in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Goa States. He developed his network In Telangana State and having more than 170 consumers from Hyderabad city.”
As per this note does he seem like operating a gang or is he a small-time recreational drugs supplier as the DGP of Goa mentioned?
Similarly, Steve D’Souza the stated owner of Hilltop was rearrested again from Goa under the Preventive Detention Act on January 13 with similar observations and charges. Many others from Goa have also been arrested like Tukaram Salgaocar, pointing to a clearly sophisticated cartel in operation. Irrespective of whether anyone calls them a ‘cartel’, ‘mafia’ or ‘gang’, the notes of the Hyderabad Police clearly establish their findings that there is a strong organised drug network operating in Goa and cutting across several States.
It’s up to our readers. Would you like to believe (this)?
Any police force becomes a dominant force if it has clear leadership and thinking where the problem is clearly identified, the best team is picked to solve it and time and resources are given for sustained investigations and arrests.
The Medellin Cartel and the Cali Cartel were not destroyed in a day. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of America and its brave officers like KIKI Camarena, who was believed to be killed by notorious Mexican drug trafficker Caro Quintero.
What would you believe? The words of the Goa Police chief that there are no drug gangs and mafia in Goa, or the investigations of Hyderabad’s Narcotics Wing and their findings after making the arrests of Goa’s “interstate drug dealers”.
