TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Despite arrest of 88 accused, booking of 48 cases and seizure of two kg of hard drugs last year, estimated at around Rs four crore, police refuse to tag Goa as drug haven. Instead they said the rapid rise in the abuse of prescription drug was their major concern.
During an informal interaction with media persons at police head quarters on Friday, Director General of Police T N Mohan said the large amount of seizures indicates the presence of narcotics. In the same breath, he clarified that Goa is not a narcotics haven nor does it have law and order problems like Mexico which has drug cartels.
“In my opinion, there is presence of drugs…it is still my opinion that Goa is not Mexico. Goa does not have the kind of mafia, large seizures and lawlessness,” he said.
“Any tourist destination in the world will have things like that…there are certain negatives connected with it.”
He also said Goa is not a transit point for drugs like Jalandhar city in Punjab where thousands of tons of hard drugs were shipped which were subsequently supplied to the local community, especially the youth. Mohan said this is also an “election issue” in Punjab.
“We don’t have big fear of drugs as its presence is in nominal amount. The problem is not uncontrolled or spiraling. It is well under our gaze …we have a lid on it” he claimed.
However, the major concern for the anti-narcotics cell (ANC) is the sale of prescription drugs at the backdrop of large quantity of seizure in the recent past.
“A sizeable amount of prescription drugs has been seized…it should be taken seriously as they are categorized as hard drugs …two kg of drugs were seized last year” he disclosed. He informed that they are coordinating with the Food and Drugs Administration to ensure that the menace is curtailed.
The ANC made the highest seizure last year wherein Goa Police booked a total of 48 cases and arrested 88 accused persons. The value was estimated at around Rs four crore.
http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Local%20News/Goa-not-drug-haven-DGP/88259.html
May 5, 2014
Lobo ridicules DGP’s denial of drug trade
May 5, 2014
Says African, Russian drug mafias are active in State
TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
CALANGUTE: Ridiculing claims by Director General of Police (DGP) T N Mohan that there is no drug trade or mafia in the State as “irresponsible, incorrect and misleading”, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo has said Mohan’s denial of the drug mafia ran contradictory to ground realities in the State.
Addressing media persons at Calangute, Lobo denounced the statements of DGP Mohan as “totally incorrect and misleading” regarding the drugs trade in the State, adding that “it would send a wrong signal to the honest and dedicated police officers eager to curb the illegal trade in the State.”
“How can the DGO make such an irresponsible statement when there are seizures of drugs amounting to lakhs of rupees? There are African and Russian drug mafias active in the State and such statements from the highest ranked police official does not augur well.”
“The Africans and Russians are very active in the drug trade, but Goa Police is reluctant to act for reasons best known to them. There are cases where Goa Police teams have gone slow on investigations or in the arrest of the perpetrators.”
“The Parra incident involving the Nigerians is a classic example in this case. Except for a crackdown against the Nigerians for a few days, there has been no concrete action initiated by the Goa Police,” said the MLA.
“Officials of Goa Police are hand in gloves with the drug traffickers else there would have been plenty of arrests in Calangute itself. The area around Tito’s lane has been an open market for the sale of drugs, but Goa Police is reluctant to act.”
Lobo feared that the DGP’s statement would discourage sincere and dedicated police officials, who have been cracking down on the illegal activities in the State.
“The Coastal Police officials will also be discouraged by statements of the DGP. Instead of making misleading statements, the DGP should instead crack a whip on the illegal business of drugs,” Lobo.
The MLA also told reporters that the DGP’s statements would also not go down well among the people in and around Calangute.
“The people have been looking up to Goa Police to act against the drug peddlers, especially since a number of youth along the coastal belt are falling prey to the free flow and sale of drugs,’ said Lobo.
“The drug trade and mafia still exist at large in the State, even if the Goa Police wants to turn a blind eye to it and this does not augur well for Goan society and our youth,” he added.
Stating that CM Manohar Parrikar has given a free hand to the police to act against the drug peddlers, Lobo added: “Earlier, the politicians were reluctant to act against the drug peddlers but now it appears that the police are reluctant to act.”
The Parra incident involving the Nigerians is a classic example in this case. Except for a crackdown against the Nigerians for a few days, there has been no concrete action initiated by the Goa Police, said the MLA
http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Local%20News/Lobo-ridicules-DGP-rsquo-s-denial-of-drug-trade/88298.html
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