Goa: Weed, ganja are being grown in people’s houses now, says IGP

PANAJI: Inspector general of police (IGP) Jaspal Singh said on Friday that drugs are being grown in houses in the state. Speaking on the sidelines of a function to mark the international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, Singh said that the Covid-19 lockdown sharply reduced the supply of drugs in the state.
The IGP said that despite proper checking at airports and other places, drugs find their way to the state. He added that criminals are intelligent and find ways to escape authorities. “Sometimes, they study loopholes and take advantage of them,” he said.
He also said Goa police is alert to the drug problem and that the roadblocks to get supply from outside the state are many. “People now grow drugs like weed, ganja, etc, in their houses,” he said. “They are not synthetic drugs, but police have cracked down on these drugs too.”
He said that the force must fight the demand for drugs. “Once we reduce demand, consumption will come down, particularly at tourist places,” he said. “(Tourist places) are a ready market, and that’s w hy we need to focus there.” In the past year itself, Singh said the force has seized drugs worth Rs 10 crore. He said that more drug seizures will attract quality tourists to the state.
The IGP said that people too should be alert to the drug problem, and any relevant information should be conveyed to the police. “Goa is not about drugs, dance and beaches, and has more to offer,” he said. “Goa is culturally very rich.”
India is located between two drug hubs, he said, and drugs from southeast Asian countries and Afghanistan make their way to the country. He said that parents and teachers must create awareness among children about the ill-effect of drugs. Antinarcotics cell (ANC) SP Shobit Saxena too stressed on creating awareness to control drugs in the state.