Team Goemkarponn
SALIGAO: The Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC) has arrested a 23-year-old man from Saligao for allegedly possessing suspected ecstasy tablets during a raid conducted near the Calangute Cricket Ground on Thursday.
According to ANC officials, the accused, Vaibhav Vinayak Gawade, a resident of Salmona Wado in Saligao, Bardez, was apprehended at the bus parking area adjacent to the cricket ground on the road leading towards Nagoa, Calangute.
Police said they seized suspected ecstasy tablets weighing around 6.59 grams along with a scooter and a mobile phone from his possession. A case has been registered at ANC Police Station under Section 22(b) of the NDPS Act in Crime No. 13/2026.
Investigators revealed that Gawade had earlier been arrested by the Crime Branch on April 16, 2026, in connection with another narcotics case involving possession of 6.04 grams of MDMA and 1.2 grams of ecstasy, collectively valued at approximately Rs 90,000. He was granted bail by the court on May 6, 2026.
Following the latest arrest, the accused has been remanded to four days of police custody for further investigation.
The raid was carried out by PSI Vikesh Hadfadkar and the ANC team under the supervision of PI Sagun Sawant, DYSP Siddhant Shirodkar and the guidance of SP Sunita Sawant.
