PANAJI
For almost 15 years, this foreign national, on the pretext of enjoying Goa’s beaches and serene ambience, eluded suspicion, skillfully hiding his true identity and of course nefarious activities from both the local community and the police.
But now that is a story of the past. There’s a fresh twist to the tale: The Goan’s independent inquiry has shockingly revealed that this Russian national, Andre, obtained numerous visas and traversed countries like Thailand besides travelling on and off to Nepal and several states, to become the most sought-after peddling top-tier narcotics.
Reportedly, he also has numerous cases booked against him in most of the drug-infested countries, where he travelled for obvious reasons.
In Mandrem, a little away from the beach, this former police trainer turned clandestine drug lord, operated his illicit lethal trade undetected till his arrest by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). During this period, he also travelled to his home country Russia and several other places - as an “explorer” to avoid suspicion.
On April 28, the NCB finally cracked the case. Andre, armed with his chemistry background and previous experience training Russian police for three years, exploited his expertise to manufacture the hallucinating party drug - LSD.
During this prolonged period of criminal activity, he meticulously transformed his rented house into a den of illicit drug production, complete with hydroponic weed cultivation, right under the nose of the local authorities and the residents who possibly didn’t have a whiff of what was happening within the four walls.
NCB Zonal Director Amit Ghawate, overseeing a series of drug busts, revealed the accused's methodical operation in an exclusive interaction with The Goan. The sleuths received a crucial tip-off following the arrests of a Russian Olympic medallist and a Mumbai-based banker in previous raids, unravelling the intricate web of deceit.
“We initially seized 20 LSD blots from his possession. Upon further investigation, we discovered 59 LSD blots weighing 1.32 grams, 8.8 grams of cocaine, 16.49 grams of hash oil, 210 grams of charas, 410 grams of hash cake, 1.440 kilograms of hydroponic weed (ganja), laptops, mobile phones, cash of Rs 4.60 lakh, and various international currencies,” Ghawate added.
The NCB’s investigation gained momentum when they stumbled upon Andre’s hydroponic weed plantation, which was concealed within three planters. The eradicated cut-root hydroponic weed plantations served as compelling evidence against him. These were immediately seized and sent for forensic examination, which is a usual process as a part of the investigation.
The manufactured drugs, Ghawate revealed, were not only peddled at exorbitant prices ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per gram but also found their way into the hands of numerous tourists, Russian expats, and addicts scattered across the country.
The investigation further revealed that his routine trips to Russia and other places were basically to gather lab manufacturing equipment and raw material to grow drug-crops in Goa.
Failed attempt to escape NCB's clutches in court
What’s interesting is that after a foiled attempt to mislead the NCB during spot interrogation, Andre – the once-respected officer - attempted a dramatic escape from the trial Court in Mapusa where he was produced for remand. However, the watchful NCB foiled his desperate bid, leaving him with no refuge and no one left to deceive. He is currently in judicial custody at Colvale Central Jail.
Given Goa’s notorious reputation for drug trafficking, the three raids by the NCB within a span of eight days come as no surprise that these substances were also imported from Manali, Shimla, notorious for the rampant availability of drugs.
Drug lords do exploit Goa's tourist season
The NCB has conceded that the tourist season is associated with the availability and trafficking of drugs in the coastal State that draws lakhs of visitors from across the globe every year. The back-to-back raids by the NCB are proof that drug lords deal with a huge quantity of drugs and also do not restrict the usual variety of drugs, particularly during the season when the demand for these substances surges.
“There is definitely a link to Goa’s tourist season. Having said that, there is no lull period for the NCB to conduct its operations against the drug menace as we are on our toes every moment,” NCB Zonal Director Amit Ghawate said.
Many peddlers own their vehicles to avoid police
Quite a few drug peddlers, who have made Goa their second home to particularly operate the lucrative lethal business, do not own their premises. Records indicate that many foreign nationals manage to pay a whopping rental amount even if it means a long lease mostly in the coastal areas. But yes, they do own their vehicles considering that rented vehicles are always on the radar of the traffic police.
