THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
The revelation that high levels of cannabis were detected in the blood of the Goa Medical College intern whose body was found on the Dona Paula beach has once again brought the spotlight on the persistent drug menace in Goa, prompting renewed calls for stronger action against narcotics networks operating in the State.
Amid growing concern over the availability of drugs and their impact on young people, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo has urged authorities to intensify efforts to dismantle drug syndicates and identify the channels through which narcotics are entering Goa.
Lobo said that while Goa Police have carried out several successful raids, arrests and seizures of contraband, the fight against drugs cannot be won through enforcement alone.
He stressed the need for stronger intelligence gathering to trace supply chains, identify the masterminds behind the trade and prevent drugs from reaching consumers.
"Drugs should not be allowed to enter Goa in the first place. If they do, agencies must find out who is bringing them in, who is distributing them and who is profiting from the trade," Lobo said.
The MLA maintained that police have been empowered by the government to take stringent action against offenders and illegal activities, but added that gaps in intelligence and monitoring need to be plugged to ensure that entire networks are exposed.
Calling for a sustained offensive against narcotics traffickers, Lobo said authorities must move beyond targeting individual offenders and focus on destroying the organised structures behind the drug trade.
"We have to break the entire network and destroy the backbone of these syndicates," he said.
His remarks come at a time when the toxicology findings in the GMC intern case have reignited public debate over the accessibility of drugs in the coastal state.
While the circumstances surrounding the young doctor's death remain under investigation, the presence of cannabis in her blood has raised fresh concerns about substance abuse among youth and the continuing availability of narcotics despite repeated enforcement drives.
Lobo said Goa's image as a safe tourism destination and the well-being of its youth depend on the State's ability to effectively curb the drug trade and prevent narcotics from finding their way into communities.
