PANAJI
A kilogram of ganja smuggled into Goa, an indoor cultivation unit operating behind the doors of a residential flat, and a location uncomfortably close to an institute and a bustling mall – the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) believes the operation was anything but casual.
ANC sleuths suspect that students of the institute and young visitors to the nearby shopping mall may have been the intended market of a cannabis supply racket run out of a rented apartment in Alto Porvorim.
During a midnight raid earlier this week, the ANC arrested three men -- Vedant Deshpande of Sambajinagar and Mayur Kolhe of Nagpur, both in Maharashtra, and Mustafa Motiwala of Porvorim. Officers said they uncovered an illegal indoor cannabis cultivation setup inside the flat, which is owned by a family currently settled abroad.
Police sources revealed to The Goan that one kg of ganja had recently been smuggled into the State “to cater to the growing local demand network.” The flat’s proximity to the two buzzing venues has prompted police to scrutinise whether students and young shoppers were among regular buyers.
“Intelligence inputs are being developed in that direction. We are probing all possible angles and won’t hesitate to summon any suspect or witnesses for questioning,” the source said, adding that the operation was carefully timed and executed to avoid tipping off the now-arrested accused and to attach the electronic evidence.
Mobile phones seized from the accused are being sent for forensic analysis and the ANC has reportedly retrieved contact numbers of suspected customers.
Deshpande, who completed a hotel management course in Nagpur, moved to Goa in 2022 and leased the flat. Police suspect he converted the apartment into a controlled growing unit, cultivating cannabis indoors while simultaneously sourcing ganja from outside the State for larger distribution.
During the search, officers seized five cannabis plants allegedly grown indoors in polythene bags, 16 gms of suspected ganja, 22 gms of suspected hydroponic weed -- a high-potency variant -- and three suspected cannabis seeds. The total value of the seized contraband has been pegged at approximately Rs 1.28 lakh.
Preliminary findings, officials said, indicate deliberate cultivation and possession within the residential premises. “It seems an organised setup rather than personal consumption. Further probe will unearth more details,” the source added.
While the flat owner is settled abroad, police said a relative managing the property has been summoned for questioning, and police are verifying whether mandatory tenant verification procedures were completed at the local police station before the lease was executed.
