The recent drug seizures in Delhi have confirmed that most contraband entering the country is destined for Goa, where the tourist season has reached its peak.
Sources in the Narcotics Control Bureau said seizures in past three months showed the drugs were headed to Goa.
"In November, six seizures of cocaine were done at various airports, including Kochi, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata totalling 10.770kg. All were destined for Goa."
In all seizures the drug was sourced from Brazil and was destined to Goa. It is learnt that this increase in trafficking of cocaine is primarily due to the ongoing tourist season in the state," the NCB officials said.
They said a special team would be based in Goa to gather more information about the drugs suppliers' network.
Trailing the route taken by the traffickers, officials found that most of the cocaine that is coming in the country is coming from South American nations. The traffickers are boarding the flight from Bogota in Colombia or Rio in Brazil, and then coming to India via Dubai or Addis Ababa. They either land directly in Goa, or first reach Delhi or Mumbai, and then enter the state via train or domestic flights.
Sources in the know said the tourist state is becoming a major transit point, along with Delhi, in the international drug network, with high-end contrabands being trafficked to south-east Asia and West alike. There were total 32 seizures made in November alone by the police, which indicates that the spike in the supply has been to meet the high demand during the tourist season.
Apart from cocaine, police have also found the demand for high quality charas from Nepal being brought to Goa. Here, a part of it is being sold and the rest is being trafficked to France and other European countries.
Sleuths from the NCB's Delhi zone unit had arrested three people, including two Nepalese nationals from Agra in this connection, who were found trafficking the contraband concealed in the covers of religious books. Around six kilograms of charas was found with them.
Similarly, police arrested an American disc jockey, identified as Stephanie Caprio Policaprio from a hotel in Delhi on November 30. She was found with 1.9kg cocaine worth approximately Rs 1.9 crore in the market. The packets were hidden under 28 thread rolls.
A Nigerian named Joseph had handed her the consignment in Sao Paolo and asked her to deliver it to the person who would contact her in the hotel room in Delhi. A chunk of the cocaine was to be sold in Delhi, while the rest was to be sent to Goa. Her passport showed that she has travelled to Spain, Switzerland and Uganda as well since February.
