Andrea Fernandes
andrea@herald-goa.com
ANJUNA: Most of the drugs seizures happen in North Goa with quite a few cases being booked in Anjuna and Calangute itself which are tourist hot spots. Nigerians, Koreans, German, French, Russian nationals, and alleged drug peddlers from other African nationalities were arrested during the course of the raids carried out in Anjuna Jurisdiction, records show. There are very few Goans involved in the trade as well over the last five years only three have been held.
It has been noticed that in 2018, 13 cases were registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and 2017 saw a total of 12 cases being booked. Around 50 people were arrested by Anjuna police in the last five years for possession and attempting to sell drugs ranging from natural drugs to exotic synthetic drugs like LSD and Metamphetamine but only four have been convicted so far. The Anjuna PI, Chetan Patil informs that they are effectively working on the strategies used by drug dealers and peddlers operating in the area. Most of the drugs has been seized mostly in the coastal area.
“The ones supplying either stay at Siolim or Vagator and few other places. We are checking the foreigners we suspect could be dealing with drugs. Usually the locations given to the customers are prominent places so it is easy to identify the place. The pickup points are commonly near Starco junction or near Pizza hut. They choose areas where there is more public gathering to handover the drugs and it becomes difficult to identify,” informed Patil. “In drug cases it is very difficult to connect to the main dealers as the carrier is unaware who is the supplier. These drugs carriers are mostly connected to their old customers and not coming out openly in the market. We are keeping a check and booking people for overstaying. We got to know the modus operandi of these foreigners and hence we keep a close watch on those staying here without a job or travel document,” he added.
The biggest drug haul in the last five years, turned out to be a Rs. 32,45,000 worth seizure of Charas (3 kg 10 grams), LSD papers (5.4 grams), MDMA (113 grams), Cocaine (42.5 grams) and Ecstasy tablets (6.5 grams) in May 2015. A 29- year-old Naigerian National, Ugochukwu Ogboke was arrested and the case is pending in court. While the second biggest raid drugs worth Rs. 17,95,600 was seized comprising of liquid LSD (weighing 13.6 grams), Cocaine (weighing 53.7 grams) and Charas (weighing 6 grams) in January this year. Stephane Jacques a French National was held in connection with the seizure and the case in under investigation.
The smallest seizures incidentally were seizures of 36 grams of Ganja from a native of Karnataka and 1.9 grams of cocaine from a Russian national.
The forensic science laboratory at Verna has initiated the process to enable testing for narcotic substances in the state, which till now was being done at the central forensic science laboratory, Hyderabad. The state laboratory has decided to procure a narcotic detection kit after which full-fledged testing of narcotic substance will take place at this lab. Anjuna PI went on to explain that the unavailability of a place in Goa to test and carry out the analysis of narcotic substances was one of the reasons why the cases are pending in the court and hence the conviction rate was low. “The chemical analysis report is done at the central forensic science laboratory at Hyderabad but now it will be done shortly at Verna. These reports are pending for years together,” he told.
