PANAJI: After the semi nude body of British teen Scarlet Keeling, found dead on the Anjuna beach waterfront in February 2008, had exposed the sordid underbelly of tourism in the state more than 4 years ago, the police have now openly but reluctantly admitted to an influx of drugs into the state from various parts of the country and the world including China, and the United States.

According to the police there is an increasing supply of mandrax – sold in the form of tablets – from China, that is adding to the deadly cocktail of synthetic drugs like LSD that are prevalent in this coastal tourist hub.

Endorsing reports that the drugs were being smuggled from China, United States of America and other parts of the world the Superintendent of police, North, Mr Sanjay Singh argued that their entry was being closely monitored with the constitution of special teams.

“A special team has been constituted to monitor and watch such drug consignments landing in the state that works on information from anti-narcotics cell teams and others engaged in tracking drug peddlers and traffickers visiting the state from various states of the country through air, rail and road ways as well as from Nepal and other borders,” Mr Singh told media on Monday.

According to ANC report to the government cannabis, hashish and ganja are routed from Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Nepal into the state and sold to the tourists. Synthetic drug like LSD are routed from South America and Ecstasy from Holland, Germany and the USA, with Heroin coming into the state from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asian Republic, Uzbekistan and Colombia.

Police claim to have identified places like Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, Calangute, Arambol and Palolem, as the main areas of drug trafficking with the report saying that drugs are peddled in night clubs, flea market, night markets, parties, bars, restaurants and shacks.

“We do book regular cases relating to contraband drugs on a regular basis and make arrests after getting clues,” Mr Singh told media, adding that in view of International Anti Drug Day a special programme was being chalked out in order to create awareness amongst the school and college students.

The police have been in the dock for their alleged nexus with the drug mafia with court trails on and after recent arrests by CBI alleging that local cops were involved in framing foreigners – one of the worst kept secrets on the coastal belt.

The police have also had no answer to allegations of mysterious disappearances of seized drugs from godowns with the previous home minister claiming that they had been eaten by ants.

However, for all its protestations of cracking down on drugs, according to police records state, only 64 foreigners and 85 Indians were arrested for possessing drugs from 2010 till date.

NT Network Goa News