In a decisive crackdown on drug trafficking, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Goa Police has dismantled a significant drug supply network, arresting multiple individuals and seizing narcotics worth Rs9.2 lakh, according to a press release dated December 31.
In one operation during the Sunburn Music Festival, five individuals—including persons from Texas (USA), Hyderabad, Chennai, Madhya Pradesh, and Cuncolim—were detained on suspicion of drug use. Saliva tests confirmed drug consumption: four tested positive for ganja and one for cocaine.
Separately, a local youth was apprehended near ITI Tuem with Ecstasy and Charas valued at Rs7.7 lakh. He was caught in a sting operation where ANC officers posed as customers.
In Bardez, a Nigerian national, Joseph Uzor (44), was arrested for cocaine possession worth Rs1.5 lakh. Authorities are investigating his background and immigration status.
The operation’s biggest breakthrough came with the arrest of Guddu Mochi Ram, the alleged kingpin of an interstate ganja smuggling ring. He was captured in Palamu, Jharkhand after the ANC tracked him through technical surveillance. The network allegedly exploited economically disadvantaged individuals to transport drugs.
This arrest followed the earlier capture of three youths in Assnora with 13 kg of ganja. Coordination between Goa Police and Palamu Police was key in bringing the prime suspect into custody.
In another case, the ANC and Goa Police Crime Branch supported Delhi Police in arresting a Portuguese national in Colva, linked to a ₹2.5 crore Charas seizure in Delhi. Investigations into wider drug links across states and countries are ongoing.
