Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: A total of 591 drug-related cases have been registered in Goa over the last three financial years and the current year so far, Chief Minister and Home Minister Dr Pramod Sawant informed the Legislative Assembly, while also revealing that no assistance was sought or received from central agencies in these cases.
In a written reply to an unstarred question tabled by Curtorim MLA Yuri Alemao, the Chief Minister stated that 180 drug cases were registered in 2022–23, 128 in 2023–24, 167 in 2024–25 and 116 cases in the current financial year up to December 31, 2025 .
The reply said that while no formal assistance was taken from agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) or Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Narco Coordination (NCORD) meetings are regularly held at the district level under the chairmanship of district collectors, with district superintendents of police acting as member convenors, to ensure coordination between various government bodies to curb drug trafficking .
Dr Sawant informed the House that law enforcement agencies, including the Anti-Narcotic Cell, use technical surveillance, digital analysis, call detail records, location data and intelligence databases in drug investigations. The government is also exploring the use of advanced analytics and artificial intelligence-based tools to strengthen detection and intelligence gathering, subject to legal and technical feasibility .
The Chief Minister further stated that there has been a noticeable change in the trend, source and type of narcotic substances in the state, with an increasing presence of synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs, along with evolving trafficking routes. Enforcement strategies are being continuously adapted to respond to these emerging challenges .
On preventive and rehabilitative measures, the government said that regular awareness programmes are being conducted in schools, colleges and communities. As part of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, around 60 awareness programmes have been held, sensitising nearly 7,000 students and members of the public about the ill effects of drug abuse and promoting the mental health support helpline MANAS (1933) .
Regarding the reported suicides at the BITS Pilani Goa Campus allegedly linked to drug abuse, the Chief Minister said that a District Level Monitoring Committee for South Goa was constituted in line with Supreme Court directions and Union Ministry of Education guidelines. The committee includes representatives from multiple departments, including education, health, social welfare, women and child development, law and NGOs working in mental health .
The committee conducted inspections at the BITS Pilani Goa campus in September 2025 through various departments and held two meetings on September 5 and 12, 2025. Video conference interactions were also held with parents of the deceased students between September and October 2025 to better understand the circumstances behind the deaths .
