Team Herald
PANJIM: On an average one person was arrested every day, during the last 33 days including the peak season, on charges of peddling drugs in the State. Out of 7.121 kgs of drugs seized during this period, amount of which is valued at a whopping Rs 1.76 crore approx, largest seizure was 5.55 kgs ganja.
Details shared by Shobit Saxena, Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC), reveals that crackdown on the drug menace from December 25, 2019 to January 28, 2020 led to confiscation of Rs 1.76 crore worth drugs comprising of Ganja, Charas, Cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy tablets and MDMA.
A total of 24 alleged drug peddlers – two Goans, 14 Indians and eight foreigners – were arrested with majority 5 cases reported at Anjuna police station jurisdiction. Among the foreign nationals, five are Nigerians and each hailing from Russia, German and Portugal.
The last calendar year recorded arrests of 239 alleged peddlers, comprising of 59 foreign nationals, 107 Indians excluding Goans and 73 locals. Out of the total foreigners arrested for the offense ~ minimum punishment of which is 10 years jail once convicted ~ constituted 36 Nigerians and 16 Russians. No UK citizen was arrested last year.
The value of the seized quantity in 2019 is over 100 per cent more than 2018’s figures. From 218 cases booked by Goa Police and the ANC in 2019, the worth of 84 kg approx drugs was close to Rs 5.90 crore whereas 222 cases in 2018 year recorded seizure of an approx 78 kg drugs valued above Rs 2.96 crore.
