Only 3 people convicted from 469 cases booked under NDPS
PANAJI
Despite strong rhetoric from the State government about combating the drug menace, the actions on the ground appear insufficient to match the promises as the data reveals a dismal conviction rate in drug-related cases in the last three years.
In the last three years, the State registered 469 cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS), however, only three people have been convicted so far which is only 0.6 per cent of the total cases.
This information was provided in the Rajya Sabha by the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.
As per the data as against 160 cases registered in 2022, only one was convicted, the number that went up by two in 2023. The year 2023 saw total of 140 narcotic cases.
Last year, the enforcement agencies crack down yielded 163 cases with zero conviction rate.
The picture is similar for whole of India, with only 0.088 per cent conviction rate in the last three years. India saw total of 3.02 lakh NDPS cases but only 268 resulted into conviction.
Goa recorded its largest drug seizure on Saturday, last week. The Crime Branch arrested a man in Guirim village for possessing hydroponic weed worth Rs 11.67 crore.
The accused was caught with 11.672 kg of high-quality hydroponic cannabis, which is cultivated using advanced water-based techniques instead of soil.
Following the seizure, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had hailed the crime branch team stating “this is a testament to the relentless efforts of our law enforcement agencies in keeping our State drug-free”.
“The government remains committed to a zero-tolerance policy on drugs. Strong action is being taken against drug traffickers, ensuring strict enforcement of the NDPS Act. We will continue to strengthen intelligence networks, enhance surveillance and crack down on drug-relate crimes to safeguard our youth and society,” he had said.
