EDITORIAL
Anti-narcotic campaign needs results, not rhetoric, to prove seriousness of Goa’s resolve
The recent incident in which a female security guard was caught attempting to smuggle drugs into the Central Jail at Colvale is a serious matter and an eye-opener for the authorities. It has exposed how deeply drug syndicates have infiltrated the state machinery too.
On Wednesday, the guard, attached to the government-run Goa Human Resources Development Corporation (GHRDC), was arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into the high-security zone. The modus operandi involved concealing drugs inside a steel water bottle. The incident came to light at the jail’s security checkpoint, following which the guard was detained. The police later said that in the panchanama conducted, 236 grams of ganja and 2 grams of charas were found on her. Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is also the Home Minister, said that the guard would be suspended and terminated from service. Three mobile phones and three debit cards were among the items found in her locker. Preliminary investigations revealed that she intended to smuggle the drugs into the jail for a female jail inmate. The police are also trying to get call details related to the three mobile phones found in her locker from the cellular service providers.
The most alarming aspect of this case is that the contraband was carried by a security guard – the very person entrusted with preventing such smuggling. It could also mean that drug syndicates are targeting and bribing low-wage earners or those on contract to act as mules. People in the know will say that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Several such cases have been detected over the past decade. The jail gained notoriety after cases of smuggling drugs (including cocaine), mobile phones, cigarettes, alcohol, etc, were detected. Last month, a joint operation by Goa Crime Branch, Delhi Police and Telangana anti-narcotic police uncovered an inter-state drug syndicate reportedly linked to the Colvale Central Jail. Investigation reports have been submitted to the authorities in several cases and even “acted upon”. Normalcy lasts for a few weeks. No doubt, security cover has been improved and it is probably due to this that the guard was nabbed.
Past investigations have found a nexus between inmates, jail personnel and suppliers. More than 15 years ago, there were allegations of a police-drug trafficker nexus and even a politician-police-drug trafficker nexus. A House Committee was appointed when Manohar Parrikar was chief minister but the report was not accepted by the government. If Goa had launched a drug-free campaign then, drugs would probably not be widely available in the state today.
Considering that manual frisking has not been foolproof, the authorities must consider full-body scanners and X-ray machines for all staff and the deployment of trained sniffer dogs at the jail entrance as a deterrent. Posting those employed on a contract basis at the jail must either be avoided or rigorous background checks must be conducted. The guards and, if possible, jail staff, should also be rotated frequently. The internal intelligence network will have to be tightened. Like jails, all other institutions should be free of narcotics.
Recently, Goa also launched a three-year ‘Nasha Mukt’ campaign following directions from the Centre. Speeches were made highlighting zero tolerance to drugs. All of this looks and sounds good. If we have failed to stop the smuggling of drugs into the Central Jail for the last many years, what more can we say of our ‘commitment’ to free Goa of narcotics? It shouldn’t be like ‘zero-tolerance’ to corruption, which remained only a catchphrase in the state.
