Goa Police bust ‘underground’ rave party, seize drugs worth Rs 9 lakh

The Goa Police busted a late-night ‘rave’ party on Saturday at a hotel in Vagator, a coastal village, and seized drugs worth Rs 9 lakh and arrested 23 people, including foreigners, officials said on Sunday.

The police raided the Firangpani Villas after receiving information that an underground rave party was being organised at the hotel.

“Upon thorough search, narcotics drugs - Cocaine, MDMA, Ecstasy Tablets and Charas- were detected in sizable quantities and worth over ₹9 lakh. Three of the accused are foreigner women,” the police said in a statement.

The police have booked the organisers and the attendees for endangering public safety, organising the party during the coronavirus pandemic as well as violating sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The party was organised by foreigners.

Earlier an ‘underground’ party organised by ‘rich kids’ in Goa came to light after a brawl spilled onto the streets prompting the police to book the organisers.

Tourism in Goa which has taken a huge hit on account of the coronavirus pandemic and which has brought the party scene to a halt has gone underground at a smaller scale. Tourists too have begun to return since the state has reopened for visitors but in limited numbers and mainly those who are willing to drive down for fear of contracting the virus while travelling.