Demand for drugs in Goa as some tourists want to try them: Police

PANAJI: Goa Police said on Tuesday that 42kg of narcotics is seized in the state every month. Crime branch and North Goa SP Nidhin Valsan said that since some tourists want to try drugs, there is a demand for these substances in the state.
He said that most narcotic cases have been along the coastal belt. Valsan said that recently, Goa police found that Goans are also into drug peddling.
“Basically, they are the last-point contact which actually connects the user to the supplier. We are trying to find these persons and bring them to justice,” Valsan said.
Valsan said that the police are ready to deal with the situation by acting on the drug trade during peak season. On Tuesday, the district-level committee under the narco coordination centre met. “We have already briefed our officers,” he said.
“All police officers are on the watch. We are conducting checks at the borders. We have developed our intelligence network as well, and with the NCORD meeting and coordination with other agencies, we will do better.”
The SP said that Goa police have a strategy to act against supply and demand.
“Goa is a tourist destination, some tourists feel the need to try drugs, and because of this, there is a demand for drugs,” Valsan said.
He also said that the seizure of ganja has increased because it’s easily smuggled and also cultivated.
“Wherever we find that some of the drugs are supplied from a particular state, we take the help of the state agencies concerned, and talk to (their) officers,” he said.