For a long time now, the issue of the dangerous drug trade in Goa has come up time and again, raising its ugly head whenever there’s any controversial death in the state, especially with tourists. Time and time again, there have been comments made by Goan ministers that point fingers at Africans, Indian drug mules, other foreign tourists and more, but there has been a clear avoidance when talking about the local involvement in the drug trade. Now, with the arrest of a Goan man in Kochi, that topic that most people carefully skirted has come back to haunt us.
Deepak Sonu Kalangutkar was arrested by a team of policemen from Kerala. They allege that Kalangutkar was a dealer and that he supplied a local Kochi man with high end drugs “ cocaine, MDMA and others “ worth Rs 85 lakh. The Kochi based Saneesh Sarvothaman pointed the finger at Goa based Kalangutkar, and the Kerala police set a trap into which the Goan man fell. According to information given by the Kerala police, Kalangutkar was responsible for a number of deals in Kerala with Sarvothaman.
There cannot be a clear channel from Goa to Kochi without a proper operation, and that is not done with the help of Israelis and Nigerians, two of the nationalities who are regularly mentioned by ministers and police when talking about the drug trade in Goa. The fact that Kalangutkar is alleged to have international links, makes this a very ripe case to probe.
There have been indications of local gangs for a while, despite the insistence by ministers that the drug trade in Goa is not an organised one and does not involve gangs. Take for instance the ‘war’ between a gang of Nigerians and local Goan boys from Anjuna and neighbouring villages. There was enough evidence to show that this was a war for territory, which is how drug suppliers operate. What makes matters worse is the fact that the recent arrest has also uncovered evidence of Goa being a transit point for drugs.
So where does the problem lie? Are we avoiding pointing a finger at locals for fear of repercussions, because we do not want to rock the boat and show others that our house is not in order? Why haven’t locals been arrested for involvement in the drug trade, despite clear evidence to the same? Who is turning a blind eye?
Goa’s history with drugs has been a long one, dating back to the 60s, where drugs were a mainstay of the hippy movement. There is no way then, or now, that drugs were being brought in and distributed without the consent and the involvement of local Goans. It has now evolved into an industry. This cannot be swept under the carpet anymore.
