Drugs worth Rs 35 lakh seized in Goa; 3 arrested

Three persons were arrested after drugs worth nearly Rs 35 lakh were seized in simultaneous raids on Saturday night, including one at the famous Arambol banyan tree - a hermitage-like hideaway that is a haven for tourists seeking a spiritual experience that sometimes involves smoking marijuana.

The overnight raids were all conducted in Arambol village in North Goa that is a big draw among tourists.

In the raid at the Arambol banyan tree, Chandan, 35, a native of Barmer in Rajasthan, was found in illegal possession of 2.390 Kg of charas worth Rs 11.95-lakh.

In another raid between 5.20 and 10:50 pm on Saturday evening at a rented room also at Arambol, one Chhatra Singh alias Shiva, 36, a native of Haldwani in Uttarakhand, was arrested with 2.100 kg of charas totalling Rs10.50-lakh, while Raju Lama, 35, a native of Manali in Himachal Pradesh was arrested with 2.500 kg of charas worth Rs 12.50-lakh.

“These raids were conducted after tracking the peddlers for quite some days,” Superintendent of Police Mahesh Gaonkar said.

The Goa police say it has seized narcotics worth Rs 6.8 crore this year compared to the Rs 5.5 crore last year.

“We have given instructions to reach the source, we have reached the source in some cases. Our focus is on the source,” Goa’s Director General of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena, while speaking late last week, said.