Staff Reporter
Margao
Goa Forward Party (GFP) president and opposition MLA Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday cautioned the state government against celebrating drug seizures without addressing the broader issue of Goa increasingly becoming a hub for narcotics trafficking. His statement followed the biggest ever drug haul valued at over Rs 43 crore by the Crime Branch on Monday.
“While I commend the Crime Branch officers for this seizure, I am left with a feeling of dread over what this bust indicates. Huge quantities of dangerous drugs like cocaine might be entering the state under the radar, perhaps on a daily basis,” Sardesai said.
He criticised the state government for failing to develop a comprehensive strategy to curb the drug menace. “The state government still has not developed a comprehensive strategy or ground-level execution plan that would make both the drug lords and petty peddlers think twice before using our beloved Goa as a drug hub,” he said.
Sardesai used a metaphor to stress the scale of the issue. “The tip of the iceberg should not be mistaken for the iceberg,” he said. “I have long warned that Goa has become
too easy for these criminals to operate in. I hope the government, instead
of being euphoric about this one bust, recognises that this massive drug business poses a huge challenge to Goan society and takes immediate action to eliminate it.”
