Given the number of road accidents, many of them fatal, taking place in the State, Goa is now considered as the accident capital of the country. However, given the amount of drugs that are being seized in the State, Goa could also attain the dubious distinction of being the drug capital of the country.
In the biggest haul of drugs of the year, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Goa police reportedly arrested a Russian drug dealer at Morjim allegedly with narcotics worth Rs. 1.75 crore in the international market. According to the police, the Russian national was found in possession of high-quality hydroponic weed, charas and LSD liquid.
This seizure by the police could be just the tip of the iceberg. The coastal beach belt in North Goa, including Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Vagator, etc, and beaches in Canacona have been described as vulnerable areas for drug trafficking in the state. Strict anti-narcotics laws prevail in Goa. Drug-related offences are a special category of cognizable and non-bailable offences and are prosecuted under The Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985.
Nevertheless, Goa is now a major hub and focal point on the international drug map. Several (Electronic Dance Music) EDM festivals being held along the coastal belt in the State only enhance drug use. Deaths due to overdose of drugs have been reported at such music festivals in the past. In the first six months of 2023, 85 persons have reportedly been arrested for possession of drugs. The rise in seizures is not just a point of success for authority, it’s a warning sign of how seriously Goa has sunk into the drug trade quicksand.
Goa is now a major hub of psychotropic drugs. Drugs are allegedly freely available around college premises and even schools. Substance abuse in Goa is becoming an epidemic and cannabis is fast catching up as the gateway drug when in the past tobacco was considered as the gateway drug. Incidentally, gateway drugs are milder drugs that can open the door to exposure to or experimentation with harsher substances.
