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DRUGS

Drugs that are being tried to push into the markets
are cocaine alias bamba, MD, ecstacy and ganja, be- ‘PEDDLERS,
sides others. These drugs are quite popular among
the youths, and they’re targeted by the drug ganglord.
Usually the consignment comes through trains via POLITICIANS
Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh and reach
its final destination, Mumbai. Roads and railways are AND POLICE
preferred over airways due to proactive customs offi-
cials. Drugs from abroad land at Chennai from where
it reach the metropolis through sea route. This re- HAVE NEXUS’
mains the dynamics of its arrival in Mumbai and Goa.
THE GOA CONNECTION WITHOUT LOCAL backing drug trade can’t stand the public
Goa is indisputably the largest market of such psy- resistance, Goa Aam Admi Party’s Valmiki Naik said, adding
chotropic drugs which stealthily make its way to the that no one can contest this as the state’s drug mafia whether
Indian market. The marketing of such illegal drugs Russian or Nigerian enjoys political patronage.
has been monopolised by dreaded Russian ganglords. The AAP leader said, “Had this not been the case, the
Earlier, Nigerians played the major role but current- trafficking couldn’t have been carried out with such impunity.
ly they are replaced by Russians. The bloody battles The raids are carried out simply to throw dust in the eyes of
ensued for monopolizing its marketing in the country Goans.”
between these two rival mafias in which several pre- “It’s true that police used to seize drugs from peddlers in
cious lives were reported to be lost. raids conducted by it. But they don’t tell exactly how much
According to sources, few influential public figures drugs is seized from the peddlers. They project false figures,”
including politicians and corrupt cops are allegedly he added.
behind the illicit trade. Making tongue in cheek remark about the unholy nexus,
The drug mafia has created a reign of terror and the leader said that there’s a PPP model working here,
those who raise their voice against them are threat- peddlers, politicians and the police. It’s the people who
ened and in some cases even eliminated. The situa- ultimately suffer.
tion has reached to such a pass that a Goan minister “We can’t hold any single party responsible for this. Whether
has expressed his fear over threat to his life from it’s the BJP or the Congress, whichever party remains in
them. Braving against all odds, Goa’s Forward Party power they allow them to carry out illicit drugs trade without
legislator Vinod Palekar, praised by the local media as interference,” he said.
an intrepid fighter — urged the people to detox Goa The air is thick with such tales but no action is taken to
from this evil. arrest the trend. It seems, the drug cartels have become more
The mafia has chosen Goa for drug trafficking dur- powerful than the politicians in the state. Those who try to raise
ing this month because tourists make a beeline to this voice against them get threats and they are silenced.
nature’s paradise to celebrate new year. A drug syn- Goa has a vibrant tourism industry and traffickers have their
dicate member Junaid (name changed) told TEHELKA sway right from Karangoot to Aranbel coastal belt of the state.
that Mumbai always remain their soft target as people This has started spreading its deadly claws to other cities and
here have immense purchasing potential and they townships of Goa.
easily sell their drugs sans any hiccup and generate Pubs, discotheques and high profile night clubs have become
good amount of money. the status symbols these days and students of educational
While another drug mafiosi, Salim (name changed) institutions are more prone to fall prey to it. In the first flush
said the gangsters fear none and their works get eas- of youth, they fail to see the trap laid down by the peddlers to
ily facilitated through ‘settings’. They allegedly carry plunge them into the deep abyss of withdrawal symptoms and
out their trade with the active support of a few cor- hallucinations.
rupt policemen. In this connection, the narcotics They remain the soft targets of drug lords and used by them
department of the state had incarcerated several to popularize such psychotropic drugs among their peers.
senior cops for helping mafias to carry out their trade Sometimes overdose leads to their deaths.
unhindered in the state. It’s an ominous trade that is carried out in utmost
secrecy and with the patronage of the powerful men in the
FAVOURITE DRUG: BAMBA government. The voices of dissent are ruthlessly silenced.
The modus operandi of the syndicate is well-oiled and Beneath the calm and salubrious ambiance everything is not
organized. They use code words like GHODA for those fine in Goa.
people who take the drugs to MICRO — another group In conversation with MS Naula

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