Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Despite Goa Police booking 1488 narcotics cases over the last five years, only 51 convictions have been recorded, raising serious concerns about the state’s criminal justice effectiveness in tackling the growing drug menace.
According to a detailed reply tabled in the Goa Legislative Assembly by Chief Minister and Home Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant in response to a starred question, 2024 saw the highest number of drug cases at 162, with only 3 convictions. As of mid-2025, 88 cases have already been booked but with zero convictions so far this year.
The alarming disparity between cases booked and successful convictions paints a grim picture of either poor investigation or procedural loopholes. A massive cocaine seizure worth ₹43.2 crore, made by Crime Branch at Chicolna in April 2025, is still under investigation, with five people arrested so far. Two of the accused were found to be repeat offenders. Efforts are ongoing to identify the kingpin and trace the consignment’s source, the reply stated.
No letter has been sent to the Union Home Ministry by Goa Police regarding the cocaine seizure. However, coordination efforts include NCORD (Narco Coordination) meetings chaired by the Chief Secretary at the state level and by the Union Home Minister at the national level.
On the broader law-and-order front, Goa recorded 1,878 cases of assault, 177 murders, 483 rapes, and 398 cybercrimes from 2020 to June 2025. A closer look reveals no convictions yet for rape cases reported in 2025. Of the 483 rape cases reported during the five-year span, only five have resulted in conviction.
Adding to the concern is the alarming vacancy rate in the police force. Over 750 posts remain unfilled. The Goa Staff Selection Commission and Goa Public Service Commission have been tasked to expedite the recruitment process for Group B and C posts across the Police Department and India Reserve Battalion.
As cases pile up and conviction rates remain abysmally low, pressure mounts on the government to strengthen prosecution, improve coordination, and reform the criminal justice process in Goa to effectively tackle its worsening drug crisis.
