He said the perception about Goa state needs to be changed globally.
But strangely, he made this statement while is going out of the State and not when he came in last year.
He should have guided the police force to be more active and not just nab the small-time peddlers but the kingpins, who are running the trade from elsewhere.
He said he had directed to maintain strict vigil and intensify patrolling and checking at state borders, airport and railway stations to ensure that supply of the drug is totally stopped and prevented and violators are dealt with a heavy hand. But has this trade stopped? NO.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
The outgoing Director-General of Police made a shocking statement that Goa needs to shed the tag of drug destination.
Now DGP Mukesh Kumar has been in the State since June 2020, and for the last year, despite Goa being under COVID19-induced lockdowns, the State has only seen the growth of drug trade.
The high number of raids only prove that the police raids have failed to deter the drugs trade in the coastal areas.
The DGP said Goa should not be looked upon as a drug destination, and it shall be the motto of Goa Police to make Goa a drug-free State.
He said the perception about Goa state needs to be changed globally.
But strangely, he made this statement while is going out of the State and not when he came in last year.
He should have guided the police force to be more active and not just nab the small-time peddlers but the kingpins, who are running the trade from elsewhere.
He said he had directed to maintain strict vigil and intensify patrolling and checking at state borders, airport and railway stations to ensure that supply of the drug is totally stopped and prevented and violators are dealt with a heavy hand. But has this trade stopped? NO.
Amongst other measures taken, he said that four narcotic sniffer dogs are being procured who will be pressed into service for narcotics detection besides Goa Police shall print a booklet with instructions to the investigation officers specifying dos and don’ts during the investigation of drug cases, which will help the investigating officers minimise errors while investigating drug cases.
Mr DGP, do you think printing books on do’s and don’ts would help? It’s very clear there is a nexus between police politicians and drug traders, and that is the sole reason why the illicit trade has flourished in the State.
In the past several police officers have been arrested and suspended for involvement or helping the drug traders, but shockingly there has been no action except for that in the Sunil Gudlar case.
This addiction to drugs destroys the individual’s life and their family and dependents, which may include the unborn child.
The most drug-addicted age group is of 18-35 years.
Besides, most of the North Indian tourists who arrive in Goa inquire about drugs and the rave parties, and it is due to the tourists, the drugs trade has flourished in Goa.
In Goa, we have often seen small-time drug peddlers being arrested with a few lakh rupees worth of narcotics almost every day, but neither the local Police, Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), the Crime Branch (CB) or the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have been able to lay their hands on the kingpins.
Right from the days of hippies in the 1970s-80s, there has been drug peddling on the coastline, and to tackle this State also created ANC, and the Centre followed with NCB.
Of late, there have been drug hauls worth crores in the State, but the big players elude them.
Isn’t it surprising that hundreds of drug peddlers are arrested every year, but the Police have no clue where the drugs come from or who is the kingpin?
It clearly shows there is nexus between the police-drug mafia and so also the politicians.
Without the support of politicians and Police, the business would never flourish.
After being voted to power, every politician pledges to eradicate the drugs mafia, but as his tenure progresses, their tone is muted with Vitamin M… Isn’t it?
Of late, we have seen a series of raids in the State after actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death; there were links to the drug’s sales in Goa through the Darknet.
However, the NCB raids and the resolve to finish drugs in India, Goa or Bollywood have almost met the dead-end or have been deliberately derailed.
Instead of issuing the statement, the DGP Mukesh Kumar Meena would have done well if he had the infact acted on the menace, or wait, is he trying to suggest that he was not able to do anything against the drug mafia as the political class did not allow him to do so?