Goa: A heaven for drug peddlers

Goa has alarmingly been facing the menace of drugs for the last few years. North Goa has become the Narcotic Centre from where the illicit drugs come to local markets and maximum consignments of drugs move out of Goa to India’s Metros and other parts of the country. Goa has become a hub of illicit drugs and a heaven for drug peddlers! Nowadays, drugs are not limited to coastal areas but reached the length and breadth of the State. It has reached remote places too. The recent tragic death of two youth due to a drug overdose is a classic example of drugs reaching hinter land villages of Goa. Goa has also become an international drug destination and as a result, both national and international drug mafia are operating in and from Goa in a big way. In the last few years, hundreds of drug peddlers and narcotic offenders were arrested by the Anti-Narcotic Cell and Goa Police. The anti Narcotic cell has prepared a database of 125 Offenders arrested since 2010. The arrests made are just the tip of the iceberg. The large numbers of drug peddlers and narcotic offenders have been escaping the law enforcing agencies. The general opinion of people at large is that the drug peddlers and narcotic offenders have the blessings of the politicians and the law enforcing agencies. The beautiful State of Goa has been getting a bad name due to the drug menace especially in the coastal belt of Goa. The State has had to face the shame due to links of Goa Police Officers with drug mafias. In the last five years, ANC have arrested 298 accused persons of which 119 accused are foreign nationals who are from different nations while the rest are Indian Nationals. The reputation of Goa as an easy drug paradise has gotten around. The drug menace will cause irreparable damage to our youth and the state. There is a threat to the whole of Goa due to the widespread deadly menace of drugs and therefore, there is an urgent need to drive drug peddlers and mafia out of Goa to save our younger generation and generation next from this gigantic and dangerous social evil. The drugs are more than just another social evil. Youngsters have become the largest hostage to the menace of drug abuse. There are enormous dangerous consequences of drugs. There is an urgent need to launch a “War On Drugs” to drive away drugs, drug peddlers and drug mafia out of Goa to save our younger generation and generation next. The people at large, the media, NGOs, educational institutions and parents can play very vital role in the “War on Drugs”. Parents are the most effective element in anti-drugs campaign. The young people appreciate parental advice and look to their parents for views. One of the most effective deterrents to drug use among young people is a parent. Availability of drugs freely in the market is another massive problem in the State. The law enforcing agencies should crack down with an iron hand on the drug trafficking and selling in the State. At present, all drugs which are mostly chemical and synthetic are analyzed outside Goa and takes more than three months to give a report of the drugs seized. The inordinate delay results in failure of the prosecuting agencies to secure convictions. The failure to secure convictions in drug cases ensures no deterrence in the task of eliminating drug use and consumption in our society. Hence, there is a need to train the prosecuting agencies in all aspects of investigation regarding drug cases like samples collection, substance determination etc. so that no investigative loopholes remain in the task of securing conviction in such cases. Unfortunately there have been almost zero convictions in Narcotic crimes in Goa. The maximum rate of conviction can effectively curb the use and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in the society and in our state. (The author is the Gen. Secretary, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee. The views expressed in this article are his own.)