TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The arrest of an Italian national with a huge quantum of synthetic drugs has once again brought the role of courier services under police scrutiny.
Vincenzo Rainone was arrested with 30,750 square shaped pieces of LSD papers and 4.7 gms of LSD, which the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) strongly suspect were couriered as it is difficult to detect the contraband substance.
“It is difficult to recognize LSD without special training to detect this substance. At times it even passes through sniffer dogs and metal detectors without being noticed. These are either in the form of sheets or eye drop-like liquid,” SP Kartik Kashyap told reporters.
The officer quickly added that all the ANC team members, including those drawn from IRB and other units, have been trained to spot all types of drugs.
Inspector General of Police Sunil Garg said they will devise a system to keep a tab on the functioning of the courier service.
The role of different courier agencies have been under the scanner since the expose of the police-politician-drug mafia links which had more than a dozen police officials and two Israelis arrested. The 2010 expose had revealed that drugs were smuggled into Goa through couriers and even in condoms.
Sources said smuggling of narcotics through courier service has been a safe attempt by the drug traffickers, who apprehend being caught. Suspecting that Rainone could have smuggled some amount of drugs to Goa via flight, police concede that checks at airports have not been a major success.
The ANC recently decided to deploy a specialized team at the new airport terminus with an additional sniffer dog, while also random checks at railway stations and bus stops would continue.
