No drug story in Goa is complete without a trip or even areference to this quaint little shack tucked away in the rocky cliffs offAnjuna. The only place in Goa that throbs with trance music, where cannabissmoke wafts in through the day and where food and drink share space with lawand crime.
A 10 minute walk down the slope from the approach road inAnjuna takes you to this place, mademore infamous after the death of Scarlett Keeling, a British teenager murderedin 2008. This was one of the placesScarlett was seen on the night before her murder.
On the top deck, you can see the breathtaking sunset offAnjuna beach but inside it relaxes you and take you to the other world. Lookcarefully and you will notice that you are under surveillance. There are localboys who keep watch on each and every activities of anybody suspicious enteringin the shack. The Goan entered thrice to see what Goa Government chose toignore. Here is our reporter’s diary of the visit
August 03, 2012
I entered the shack around 11:15 pm with a friend and sat ata low table in the second half of the shack. There are two compartments of theshack, one with wooden floor and the second half with sand. I noticed the localboys moving around here and there without any reason. I noticed two local boysjust sitting behind me, with long beards and curly long hair, wearing roundneck T-shirts and three-quarter pants. Both were sharing a beer. Both weredrugs peddlers, I got to know later when somebody contacted him and he wentsomewhere and never came back. They both were suspiciously looking at me. Aftera while the fellow who had contacted this guy was making a joint. He took thecap of a soft drink bottle and added some stuff into it and heated it with thelighter and he nicely filled everything in the cigarette and took heavy puffs.
I saw Zito George (the brother of a very honest an uprightpolice officer) sitting inside the shack with two customers, in T-shirt andcargo pant. After they paid him some notes, he removed his wallet and pushednotes inside and gave some stuff to them. Zito disappeared after five minutes.I waited more than 45 minutes watching everything, every move of the boysaround the shack.
August 17, 2012
I am back at the shack. It is 11:30pm, I sat on the sametable and ordered two hot coffees. It takes nearly 15 minutes for the coffee tocome. The faces were different but the business was the same. It is verydifficult to figure out whether the owner is pushing drugs or shelteringpeddlers. I saw the peddler sitting at the corner of the second half of theshack. I tried to get some stuff but suspecting that I may be an “unfriendlyintrusion” I was told that “it” is not sold here. But most of them were inpossession of the stuff and smoking it. Once again I saw Zito George sitting inthe shack with a couple.
August 18, 2012
I noticed that more domestic tourists were consuming drugsthan foreigners. There are ample numbers of peddlers in the vicinity and insidethe shack. They might each look as if they’re operating on their own but thewhole activity is coordinated and synchronised. The same waiters hover aroundyour table, the same regulars hang in corners seemingly looking uninterestedbut eyeing you carefully.
I saw Zito George again, sitting in the shack withcustomers. Sources in the Anjuna police and in Anjuna conform that Zito isrunning the entire drug business in this shack. And for reasons best known bythe police, the Anjuna police and the shack owner seem to be sheltering Zitoand his business.
