PANJIM: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized an apartment belonging to businessman Roque Jose Fernandes owing to his alleged involvement in the drug trade. The Statement issued by the NCB Goa Zone on Thursday states that the investigation team has seized an immovable property in Pamela Palms, Anjuna on Wednesday, “having reasons to believe to be acquired from illicit trafficking of drugs.”
The property worth Rs 65 lakh belongs to Fernandes, a resident of Anjuna. The alleged drug peddler was arrested by the NCB in June 2021 and drugs in commercial quantity were recovered from his person. In November 2021, the NDPS Court convicted him in a drug case registered by the Anti Narcotics Cell, Goa Police.
In the raid last year, the NCB had claimed that Fernandes operated the drug racket (Ecstasy) from his ice-cream parlour-cum-grocery store. “Orders for narcotics were booked from his ice-cream parlour and he delivered the ordered drugs at mentioned addresses from one KS Guest House at Anjuna. Payments towards these drugs were done digitally. He has allegedly also provided drugs to tourists and the consumers in front of the guest house. Some complaints have been received from the neighbours of the guest house and some tourists regarding the peddling of drugs by the accused,” the NCB team had said.
As many as 37 tablets of Ecstasy/MDMA and substantial quantity of charas were seized in a major raid carried out by the NCB last year and Fernandes was the first to be taken into custody. Nepali Charas, imported from Nepal was taken into custody from the accused involved in the lethal racket.
