Nearly 150 Indian tourists arrested from 2009 to 2013
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Amidst the hype that a large number of foreign nationals are involved in the drug-related activities in the tourist state, police records indicate that more Indians, including locals, are in fact involved in the drug trafficking.
Records of the last over four years from 2009 till October 31, 2013, show that nearly 150 Indian tourists, including Goan youth, have been arrested in connection with the illicit trade as compared to 116 foreigners, of which 43 are Nigerians.
In all, Goa Police have registered 240 NDPS cases during this period while Narcotics Control Bureau, which recently set up its unit in Goa, registered two cases last month.
A majority of 65 cases of drug peddling were registered at different police stations and in the anti narcotics cell in 2010, among which there were 71 persons including nine Nigerians arrested for the offense. This was followed by 54 cases of drug peddling arrests in 2012 and 53 in 2011. This year till October 2013, local police have booked 33 NDPS cases.
The department has also booked more than 150 foreigners for overstaying and possessing forged passports and visas.
Meanwhile, out of the 52 Nigerians — who are presently in jail, in connection for attempted murder and rioting–38 were found without any valid documents while 12 produced photocopies of their passports. Only one could produce the original travel documents while another Nigerian submitted a residential certificate issued by FRRO Hyderabad. Sources said that the department has sought details of each of the arrested men from the Nigerian High Commission, New Delhi.
As the interrogation of Surendra Pol, the lone arrested man in the Obado Uzoma Simeon murder case is in progress; senior police officers on Friday claimed that 10 others identified in the killing will be arrested soon.
