In one of the biggest drug busts in the State, the Goa Police’s Anti-Narcotic Cell on Monday seized 1,825 LSD blotters valued at Rs 1.1 crore in the international market. On Wednesday, the Superintendent of Police (ANC) announced that they had seized a hallucinogenic and psychedelic drug called DMT (dimethyltryptamine) from the hinterland. DMT is used for spiritual retreats happening in hinterland villages.
Earlier this month, Delhi Police seized one of the biggest consignments of Colombian cocaine valued at over Rs 6,500 crore. Police revealed that the cocaine was to be distributed at four major upcoming concerts and music festivals in Goa, Delhi and Mumbai scheduled between October and March with plans to courier specific quantities to users concealed in cardboard boxes containing shirts. There have been a series of seizures back home, including the arrest of a UP man in August, who was allegedly peddling MDMA.
The spurt in supplies and seizures that include an assortment of narcotics highlight the fact that there is an increasing demand for recreational substances. Anjuna, a hub for nightlife, continues to be a focal point for drugs because it has a pulsating tourism energy and a nonchalant atmosphere. The scenario in neighbourhood areas like Calangute, Baga and Candolim is no different. Unfortunately, hinterland areas are now being exploited and drugs are now penetrating villages that were insulated from the buzz of tourism. The environment minister Aleixo Sequeira is on record saying drugs are available “all over”, although Chief Minister Pramod Sawant later called it a “slip of the tongue”. Sequeira is not wrong, and there is no need to hide the reality of the easy availability of drugs.
The ANC may be taking pride in the seizures to prove their effectiveness, but instead of construing this as a win, it has to be seen as a moment of awakening because the situation is drifting from bad to worse. There is no denying that police are relentlessly pursuing every possible lead in trying to track drugs. They may have struck fair success in apprehending individuals, Goans and non-Goans, and that’s the positive side. But on the flip side, it appears that there's no control over the source. Drugs have been pouring into Goa in multiple forms and from different destinations. Unless the inflow is plugged, the maddening chase for the enforcement will continue. Tracking a dealer or two is not going to help the larger cause. The ANC has seized drugs worth Rs 7.10 crore in the past eight months, but these seizures haven’t stopped the flow.
Goans have historically taken immense pride in their hospitality and vibrant social life, but the influx of drugs clouds the landscape into one marked by chaos and vulnerability. Sophisticated networks have been using Goa as a transhipment point, funnelling harmful substances from far-flung areas to consumers eager for escapism. We have heard of Dubai-based suppliers, and then there are syndicates operating from countries like Columbia and Turkey besides states like Manali, Odisha, Mumbai and even Bengaluru.
While tourism dances to the tunes of these party drugs, Goa faces major socio-economic implications. Youth who fall prey to the drug culture get sucked into this haze of addiction, leaving families shattered and communities fractured. Sadly, the drug issue resonates deeply in Goa because we pride ourselves on closely-knit communities with high social values.
With the arrival of a new tourist season, we must confront this crisis collectively, rather than looking at it as the job of the government or the authorities/police. Schools, families, and healthcare professionals must collaborate to foster awareness and prevention initiatives aimed at eradicating the allure of drugs. It may be impractical to root out narcotics completely, especially when it has tacit backing from establishments and locals. But, somewhere a start has to be made. Let the recent seizures serve not just as a piece of statistics but as a motivation for collective action.
