Team Herald
PANJIM: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Crime Branch has seized narcotics worth Rs 25 lakh in the past month and arrested four peddlers. Among the recent cases, Goa Police made one of its biggest charas seizures in the last year, arresting a Himachal Pradesh native who was allegedly smuggling drugs into Goa from his home state.
This marks the fourth case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by the Crime Branch in January 2025.
In the latest operation, a team from the Crime Branch, led by Police Inspector Laxi Amonkar, conducted a narcotics raid on January 31 at Nandu House, Arambol, Pernem. The accused, identified as Yugal Kishor Singh, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, was caught red-handed in possession of 239 pieces of oval-shaped brownish sticky substances suspected to be charas. The total weight of the seized contraband was 2.198 kilograms, with an estimated market value of Rs 21.98 lakh.
Additionally, the police recovered Rs 17,500 and a blue-coloured mobile phone from the accused. The total value of all seized items, including the narcotics, is estimated at Rs 22.15 lakh. Police sources say that Singh was residing in Arambol for over a couple of years and carried on with his illicit trade by getting large consignments from the Hill State.
“We have been tracking Singh for four months but he was elusive. Known to sell his consignment from door-to-door to some local and foreign tourists, he would also sell his contraband to small peddlers. We had information that he had come down with 10 kgs of charas but by then he must have sold it to peddlers and customers and we could seize 2.198 kilogram,” said a cop on condition of anonymity and added that the seized mobile could spin a lot of beans.
The local police however were ‘oblivious’ of the dealer operating right under their noses.
Singh has been booked under Section 20(b)(ii)(C) of the NDPS Act, 1985. He was placed under arrest on the same day, and further investigations are underway to trace his supply network.
Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to curbing drug trafficking in Goa and have urged the public to report any suspicious activities related to narcotics.