Team Herald
Panjim: The chase to get two of the biggest nightlife kings- Edwin Nunes of Curlies Steve of ‘Hilltop” accused in one of the biggest anti-drug operations conducted by the Hyderabad police, has left Goa police with a non-negotiable option to matchup and offer support.
“Finally, we have been put to the professional test, one has to admit to the thorough efficient, and professional, work of the Hyderabad police”, said a Goa police officer.
The Goa state authorities have now realised as the Goa Police have been called to test as cracking down on drugs has become non-negotiable especially when the Hyderabad Police has raised the heat while displaying commercial expertise. As a result of which the Hyderabad Police have completely gone after the two majors of the nightlife industry.
The Goa Police have the task to wipe off the stains as the image of the state continues to be exposed as a major consumption as well as transit location.
While no one will say this on record, it was very unlikely that both of them would jointly be on the radar and be on the run with Steve already in Hyderabad police custody, as a part of the major investigations into Goa-based drug cartels and supporting actors
“Both operate in the same area of Anjuna and Vagator. Both have their hand in almost the same kind of businesses, nightlife food, and beverages, lodgings, etc but this is for the first time that both are directly accused of being kingpins of the drug supply network”, said a prominent nightclub owner
There are two parallel cases involving broadly the same broad pool of players, With Sonali Phogat, being a BJP member from Haryana, the Goa government did not hesitate to transfer the case to the CBI, which will probe this both from the murder angle as well as the narco-angle.
In the Hyderabad NDPS case, the accused Pritesh Borkar spilled the beans and named Edwin and Steve in the entire drug cartel matter. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Police who have been getting a lot of cooperation to crack down on the drug cartels, also have to negotiate through a lot of information leaks and the bottom level of the Goa Police.
The Hyderabad Police, in order to up the ante in the investigation has also sent additional reinforcement for the investigation
For us, it’s not just an investigation. So many people from Hyderabad are going to Goa only to have drug parties and return. This is due to easy availability and networks” said Sunitha Reddy, DCP leading the ground-level team of H-NEW (Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing
