Don’t let Goa become an ‘Udta Punjab’: DGP

PANAJI: Director general of police (DGP) Muktesh Chander on Sunday urged the people of the state not to allow Goa to become ‘Udta Punjab’ in terms of the narcotic trade.
‘Udta Punjab’ is a movie based on drug abuse in the state of Punjab. Speaking on the occasion of International day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, at Panaji, Chander appealed to the people of the state to immediately inform police about any activities related to drugs so that the law enforcers can crack down on those activities.
“As and when we get information about the drug trade, the anti-narcotic cell (ANC) of Goa police immediately take action,” he added.
Chander recently directed the ANC and coastal belt police stations to intensify action against the narcotic trade. The direction was given after the DGP reviewed drug cases in the state.
Over the last three years, Goa police has seized 10 different types of narcotics worth a total of over 16 crore. The drugs seized include ganja, charas, cocaine, LSD papers, amphetamine, ecstasy tablets, heroin, methoxybenzyl (phenethylamine) and LSD liquid.
The chemical analysis of the seized ganja and charas is carried out at the food and drugs administration laboratory at Bambolim, while samples of the other drugs are sent to the central forensic science laboratory (CFSL) in Hyderabad. There is no proposal to set up a branch of the CFSL in Goa yet, police said.
Over the last three years, Goa police registered 175 cases of illegal possession of drugs and arrested foreign nationals as well as Indians. In 2013, 50 cases were booked. This figure went up to 54 in 2014 and further increased to 61 in 2015. In 2016, till May, Goa police registered around 16 cases.
In 2013, eight types of narcotic substances were seized and valued at 3.88 crore. In 2014, drugs worth over 2.31 crore were seized while in 2015, drugs worth 10.36 crore were seized.
The police have disposed over five kilos of various narcotic substances worth lakhs of rupees. The drugs were incinerated at the Goa medical college and hospital in Bambolim.
Police said that the narcotics drug and psychotropic substances disposal committee verifies the records of the case and the drugs before they are disposed. The drugs are incinerated in the presence of two witnesses and committee members. The process is video recorded.