Drugs worth Rs 3cr seized till Aug

Panaji: The seizure of 114kg drugs worth over Rs 3 crore during the first eight months of 2022 has caused eyebrows to be raised over the flourishing narcotic trade in the tiny tourism-dependent state, even as police reiterate their zero-tolerance policy toward it. In 2021, a total 135kg drugs was seized.
Among the drugs seized are ganja, charas, LSD, MDMA, ecstasy tablets and powder, cocaine, hashish oil, heroin, and cannabis, with ganja making up over 91kg of the total haul.
Police said that most of those arrested during drug raids were non-Goans and that most of the narcotics seized were natural, such as ganja and charas. Synthetic drugs, police said, are imported by foreigners and are mostly used during parties.
A senior officer said that since the resumption of tourism activities post the pandemic, drugs have also started moving into the state and in an effort to clamp down on the trade a close watch is being kept on peddlers.
Goa police has also directed its officials to maintain zero tolerance to drugs and on an average over three narcotic raids are being conducted in the state every week.
Recently, Goa police organised an inter-state intelligence coordination meeting on narcotics and other organised crimes during which a discussion was held on the challenges faced and a decision was taken to share information on those involved in the trade.
Nearly a decade after an alleged nexus among police, politicians and the drug ‘mafia’ rocked the state, a British peddler arrested for possession of narcotics alleged that he had paid “protection money” to police. The UK national, Stephen Slotwiner, 76, was held last month for possessing drugs worth Rs 15 lakh. Based on his allegations — made during interrogation — police suspended constables Rajesh Yeshi and Appa Parab pending inquiry.
The issue of drugs, which has long been simmering beneath the surface, burst on to the spotlight last month, when Hyderabad police alleged that their Goa counterparts don’t cooperate with them when it comes to cracking down on the menace.