The cases of foreigners involved in the drugs trades are on rising in the state, following the recent case of a drug laboratory run by an Austrian national in North Goa, now the Goa police have busted the Russian couple’s rented residence in north Goa, and recovered the plants of Cannabis grown inside the apartment.
The estimated value of the plants and other drugs removed from the possession of a Russian couple is said to be worth more than 15 lakh rupees. According to the Times Now online portal Goa police conducted the raid on Saturday following the tip received by them from a reliable source.
The Russian couple Anna Asharova and Viacheslav Terekhin, both in their early forties were staying at a rented apartment at Siolim in North Goa.
During the raid, police officials recovered items worth Rs 15 lakh from the residential apartment apart from a plethora of intoxicating substances such as ganja and LSD papers. Sleuths also discovered a machine used for plantation of cannabis plants from the couple’s residence.
The operation was carried out by the Anjuna police under the guidance of PI C L Patil. “During the raid, the police recovered cannabis plants, ganja, LSD papers and machinery used for plantation,” said Mr. Patil.
This is not the first case of drugs trafficking in North Goa involving the foreign national, said the sources. In the month of October, Goa police had busted a drug laboratory run by an Austrian national in North Goa.
According to reports at that time, police had seized drugs worth Rs 1 crore from the Austrian national’s base of operations. The accused who was identified as 35-year-old Christian Koller was booked under the NDPS Act for possession and trafficking of drugs.
Further in another case, In the month of June this year, the Directorate of Revenue Intellegence (DRI) uncovered an international racket of manufacturing and distribution of party drug ‘ketamine’.
Large quantities of the drug were seized from several locations in Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. In fact, 10 people including three foreign nationals were arrested by the DRI in connection with the racket. As a result of the raids, sleuths apprehended close to 308 kg of ketamine.
The above cases are a clear indication of the massive drug trade is underway in the state and despite several arrests on a regular basis, the drug traffickers do not seem to be ready to give up.
Goa is one of the major tourist destinations in the country, the drugs, prostitution, and gambling become an integral part of the system. The domestic tourists come in for the casinos and foreigners floats in for the drugs.
