PANAJI
Reiterating Goa’s zero tolerance against drugs, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that Goa Police and the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) seized 204 kgs of various drugs and arrested 197 drug traffickers, from January 1 to December 21, 2023.
The estimated value of the confiscated drugs is around Rs 8.38 crore. While he refrained from providing the origins of the arrested persons, Sawant urged Goan youth to resist the temptations of those involved in the drug trade. He also cautioned against succumbing to monetary inducements.
“Goa and drugs are often correlated but Goa Police are cracking down on the menace. I urge the Goan youth to not fall prey to the trap even though they might be offered large sums,” he said.
The suspected visitors, he claimed, are already under police radar as he added that Goa deserves “clean tourists and not the ones who ruin the image of Goa and its tourism.”
Incidentally, his statement comes on the day when ANC conducted two back-to-back raids and arrested two peddlers including a Goan for being in possession of drugs worth Rs 16.05 lakh.
In the first case, one Luis Ronaldo Fernandes, aged 25 years of Guirim was found in possession of 100 gms Methamphetamine, worth Rs 10.05 lakh while in the following raid at Mala in Panaji, Sulesh Kumar Sadayal from Goa Velha was caught red-handed in possession of 6 kgs of Ganja worth Rs 6 lakh.
“The ANC was tracking the accused who was under the radar for quite some time upon a tip-off that he was peddling the drugs for sale and distribution. The team was swiftly formed and he was raided,” the ANC official said, referring to the second arrest.
This is the fourth raid in six days wherein ANC has seized drugs worth Rs 1,33 crore approx and seized Liquid LSD, LSD blots, Ecstasy powder, Methamphetamine, charas, hydroponic weed and Ganja.
“The crackdown has been launched keeping in mind the ongoing tourist season. Citizens are requested to share any such information in confidence and their names will be kept strictly confidential. Unless the Citizens inform such activities, it is difficult to rein in the peddlers,” reads a note circulated by the PRO.
