AERIAL VIEW
One wonders if the drugs are seized every day, and two of the kingpins are cooling their heels in police custody all the way in Hyderbad; one wonders how the business continues to flourish? This means the alleged accused, Steve and Edwin, maybe just the tiny pawns, and the kingpin is sitting somewhere out and running the cartel.
It is shocking that the Goa Police, which has made a habit of cracking the cases within hours, fails to lay their hands on the kingpins. Or is there no inclination to nab them?
The Goa Police never bothered to touch the people like Steve and Edwin before, except for some petty crimes.
The Hyderabad police commissioner, CV Anand, recently said that his team never received help from Goa police while probing drug cases that have a Goa connection. Anand said this in response to a query on Goa police during a press meet.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
Even as the Sonali Phogat case is still afresh in teh minds of Goans, here comes yet another case of a drug overdose.
It feels really sad to hear almost after every two weeks or a month about the deaths of drug overdose cases in coastal areas of Goa.
In the last two months since Sonali Phogat’s death, there have been several raids, a huge amount of contraband has been seized, and the two alleged kingpins Steve D’Souza, owner of Hilltop Club and Edwin Nunes, owner of Curlies Beach shack, have been arrested by the Hyderabad Police, but yet the drug business continues unabated.
One wonders if the drugs are seized every day, and two of the kingpins are cooling their heels in police custody all the way in Hyderbad; one wonders how the business continues to flourish? This means the alleged accused, Steve and Edwin, maybe just the tiny pawns, and the kingpin is sitting somewhere out and running the cartel.
It is shocking that the Goa Police, which has made a habit of cracking the cases within hours, fails to lay their hands on the kingpins. Or is there no inclination to nab them?
The Goa Police never bothered to touch the people like Steve and Edwin before, except for some petty crimes.
The Hyderabad police commissioner, CV Anand, recently said that his team never received help from Goa police while probing drug cases that have a Goa connection. Anand said this in response to a query on Goa police during a press meet.
Reacting to this allegation, Goa Police has clarified that they have never received any request for assistance from their counterpart at Hyderabad.
Seriously, why do these things happen only in Goa?
This is not just a one-off story; Goa has been grabbing headlines all over due to the drug trade.
Last week a student from Puducherry died in a suspected case of a drug overdose after attending a party in the North Goa coastal belt.
We are not blaming a particular government for this mess. Drugs in Goa have been there since the hippies’ time, and the mafia continues to rule even today.
Almost every day, there have been cases registered and drugs seized across the State. But this hasn’t been the deterrent. The drug trade continues to flourish in Goa.
Isn’t it surprising that hundreds of drug peddlers are arrested yearly, but the Police have no clue where the drugs come from or who the kingpin is?
It clearly shows the nexus between the police-drug mafia and the politicians.
Without the support of politicians and the Police, the business would never flourish.
After being voted to power, every politician pledges to eradicate the drug mafia, but as his tenure progresses, their tone is muted with Vitamin M… Isn’t it?
Even if there is a political will, the policemen have no will. Seriously for the Police, this is the biggest money-grosser business.
It is learnt that the police station from Anjuna, Pernem and Calangute get crores as protection money for the business. Sources here reveal that only those who do not pay hafta are arrested, and cases are registered.