MARGAO: In a bid to curb the growing drug menace in South Goa, police stations across the region have conducted multiple raids under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, seizing ganja worth lakhs of rupees and arresting several individuals.
The raids, which took place throughout August, targeted various locations, including Colva, Verna, Curchorem, and Margao. On August 6, Colva Police arrested Devang Gaonkar and Celester Xavier Vaz for possessing 450 grams of ganja worth Rs 45,000. The same day, Verna Police caught Sandeep Harijan with 575 grams of ganja worth Rs 57,500.
On August 21, Curchorem Police arrested Aftab Khan and Tanmay Prabhu with 5.130 kg of ganja worth Rs 5,13,000. This was followed by the arrest of Heramb Naik by Mardol Police on August 16, who was found with 241 grams of ganja worth Rs 24,100. Vasco Police also arrested Varun Punjabi with 780 grams of ganja worth Rs 78,000.
In addition to these arrests, Margao Police registered a case against Faik Ali for possessing 248 grams of ganja worth Rs 20,000. This brings the total number of cases booked by South Goa Police under the NDPS Act to 15 in the last seven months.
According to the police, this two-pronged strategy of conducting raids and booking cases, combined with holding awareness drives, has led to a decrease in the number of cases. However, citizens allege that peddlers continue to target youth and school-going children, and that a more aggressive enforcement of anti-narcotics laws is needed to deal with the problem.
The police have also noted a decrease in the number of cases booked in recent years. In 2023, South Goa Police booked 24 cases under the NDPS Act, down from 77 in 2018 and 60 in 2017. The police attribute this decrease to their increased efforts to curb the drug menace.
Despite these efforts, the problem persists, and the police are calling for greater awareness and cooperation from the public to combat the issue. As one police officer noted, "The drug menace is a societal problem that requires a collective effort to solve. We are doing our part, but we need the public's help to stamp out this scourge."