PANAJI
The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) arrested two young men late on Sunday night in a crackdown on an interstate drug network at Patto. Officers seized 15 kgs of ganja during the operation.
The ANC said Branzil Kadam, 28, from Verna, and Debbatta Nayak, 30, from Odisha, were allegedly supplying drugs mainly to young people, including students and migrant workers.
The arrests come amid rising concerns about drug peddling targeting youth in both urban and rural parts of Goa. The raid followed a tip-off, with ANC officers using technical tools and human surveillance before setting a trap.
“Kadam was the main supplier, sourcing large quantities of ganja through his interstate contacts and distributing it through small-time dealers. The drugs were mostly being sent to Margao and Vasco, both of which have large student and migrant populations,” the ANC said. The raid was led by Inspector Sajith Pillai and monitored by SP Tikam Singh Verma and DySP Nerlon Albuquerque. Kadam was caught red-handed with the drugs, while Nayak was with him at the time.
Sunday’s raid is the second major crackdown on interstate drug smuggling in recent weeks. In an earlier operation, the ANC busted a Jharkhand-based network, arresting a local supplier and two transporters with 13 kg of ganja. With help from authorities in Jharkhand, officers later tracked down and arrested the main supplier.
