Team Herald
CANACONA: Canacona police arrested one Prem Kumar Singh, a native of Jibhi in Himachal Pradesh, with 347.1 grams of substance suspected to be charas from near a popular beach in Canacona in the wee hours of Sunday.
Canacona PI Tukaram Chavan said that on a specific intelligence input from a local police informer, the police intercepted Singh (24) when he reached near a beach in Canacona very famous amongst the western tourists at about 12.15 am on Sunday.
On search, he was found to be in illegal possession of 347.1 grams of a substance suspected to be charas. The accused person, who is temporarily residing in Canacona but a native of Jibhi, Banjar, Ghaighi, Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, is arrested under Section 20 (b) (ii) (B) of NDPS Act, 1985 by following all Supreme Court guidelines.
PI Chavan said that the substance recovered from the accused is worth around Rs 1,80,000 in the international illegal drug market.
The raiding team led by SDPO Kiran Poduval consisted of PI Chavan, PSI Dhiraj Devidas, LPSI Rifa Barretto, Head Constable Ramkust Faldessai, Police Constables Gautam Faldessai, Akshay Naik, Milind Sail and Kavish Velip.
“This is the first major arrest under NDPS act for this season, we have activated our local police informers and with this arrest we have sent a strong message to the persons who are in this illegal trade due to which good homes have been destroyed to stop dealing in such things,” Chavan asserted.
Sources said that there are reports of charas being grown in the hinterlands of Himachal Pradesh and now the narcotics gangs are managing somehow to smuggle it out of the State where its value increases manifold as it is in great demand in tourist places.
