S Goa police book 77 cases under NDPS Act last year

SHYAM ZAMBAULIKER

MARGAO: During the year 2018, Margao, Ponda, Vasco, Canacona and Colva police stations in South Goa registered more cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The total number of cases booked by the police stations in South Goa under the Act, in the year 2018 was 77, of which all were detected.

In the year 2017, in all 60 such cases were booked by the police in South Goa. The highest number of cases that is 17 was booked by the Margao police under the Act, followed by 16 by Ponda police, 12 by Vasco police, and 6 each by Colva and Canacona police. Besides these, 4 cases were booked by Verna, 3 each by Cuncolim, Fatorda, and Curchorem police, while 2 each by Maina-Curtorim and Collem police, and 1 each by Quepem, Sanguem  and Mormugao police.

The above figures indicate a spurt in the number of drugs cases in Margao, Ponda, Vasco, Colva and Canacona. The cases saw the arrest of the accused from outside the state.

Till November 11, 2018 cases booked under the Act were 71, which went up to 77 by December. In the year 2017, during the same period police had booked only 41 cases.

A police officer said that the police investigation has revealed that most of these accused are from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, UP, Odisha and other states and were residing in Salcete. They take shelter in huts and carry out such activities, he added.

Police records show that from 2012 till August 17, 2017, South Goa police had booked 56 cases under the Act and had arrested 61 persons.

Police records also show that in the year 2012, South Goa police had booked only 12 cases under the Act while in the year 2013, 4 cases were booked; in the year 2014, South Goa police had booked 6 cases and in the year 2015, 8 cases were booked, while in the year 2016, the police booked 13 cases, the number of which jumped to 60 in 2017 and 77 in the year 2018.

Further, Margao police from the year 2012 till August 17, 2017 had booked 16 cases while Maina-Curtorim police during this period had booked only 2 cases and arrested 3 persons. Colva police had booked 2 cases and arrested 2 persons while Cuncolim police had booked 1 case and arrested 1 person. Quepem police booked 2 cases and arrested 3 persons during the period while Canacona police booked 10 cases and arrested 10 persons.

Vasco police booked 10 cases and arrested 12 persons, Mormugao police booked 1 case and arrested 1 person while Ponda police booked 12 cases and arrested 12 persons. Number of the persons arrested from 2012 till August 2017 were 61 while number of cases booked were 56.

A police official said that after taking cognizance of the rise in drug cases, they have intensified the drive  against drug peddlers and added that the  police will take  stern action against culprits.

When contacted, SP-South Goa, Arvind Gawas said that to counter the drug menace, police are focusing on a two-pronged strategy of conducting raids and booking cases and holding regular awareness drives in schools and colleges to make youngsters aware about the ill-effects of drugs.

Sources in the police said that despite sending letters to several educational institutions to provide information on drug peddling, response from the school authorities is poor.