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Welcome to the (drug) net

Foreign tourists group on social networking sites help bond Goa’s drug trade industry

Welcome to the (drug) net

Alex Rice’s photo on Goa 90-2000 season seems innocuous. Foran amateur eye, it is of someone bent over a bottle with a few ashes on thecap. But peer closer and it is a regular hashish smoker sucking in a whiff ofhash smoke. Welcome to the club of drug users on the Net in Goa. Here you knowwho else enjoys and occasional joint, who is a regular and most importantly,where is it available.

Social networks like Facebook, Twitter have been fast turninginto a happy ground for over-drugs-bonding. Groups like Goa Hippy Tribe and Goa90-2000 season have posts ranging from where the next rave party is beingorganized to where it was last held. The Goan even found out a shocking menu ofdrugs available on one of such groups on the Net. The menu lists out theprevailing price of that drug in euros for the overseas tourist visiting Goa.

The networks abound with glowing reference to puff daddiesand babas selling joints and chai. Shockingly a number of members of Goa Policeare not just members of these social networks but also by default come to seethese images on the Net. No guesses that their power to decipher these leads issuspect.

Over a dozen groups exist on Facebook alone and with socialnetworks being watched by intelligence agencies in Delhi and Mumbai, groupscommunicating in Hebrew and Russian abound. The groups talking of experiences,places to go, things to do and needless to say, attracting more people withleads to pick up drugs in and around Goa.    

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Everyone swims in the sea of dope

The quantum of the drug business in Goa is one third the royalty Goa earns from mining. Central Intelligence agencies, the Narcotics Control Bureau and DRI are frustrated at the local involvement of policemen, politicians and local in the drug business.

Team Investigations
Published Aug 22, 2012, 1:17 PM IST
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Everyone swims in the sea of dope

Controlling it they say is “impossible”. In this context, MrParrikar’s “no go” to drugs faces a practical real challenge. This is the firstof a two-part ground report2009 -An Emirates flight EK -0248, originating from theMinistro Pistarini International airport Buenos Aires, Argentina touched downat the Dubai International airport carrying an African national. He connectedto a Mumbai bound flight. On touchdown, he appeared clean and was about toclear customs and immigration…

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