Amid spat with Hyderabad cops, Goa Police step up drug raids

Amid an ongoing spat with their Hyderabad counterparts, who have accused lack of cooperation from the police authorities in Goa to nab drug dealers, under-fire various agencies of the Goa Police conducted a series of raids in the beach village of Anjuna arresting five persons, including two African women.

A Bengaluru-based party organiser was also arrested in a raid at the popular '9 Bar' in the beach village of Anjuna.

"One Mr Mithun Gopal, aged 27 years, was found in possession of Methamphetamine worth Rs 10,000. Along with the above-accused person the party organiser Wayne Davis, age 34 years and native of Cox town, Bengaluru has also been placed under arrest," Deputy Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi told reporters. The raid was conducted by the anti-narcotics cell of the state police and the North Goa district police personnel.

In another raid at Anjuna beach village, two persons from Tanzania were arrested for possession of small quantities of cocaine, hashish and LSD.

"Two of the accused from Tanzania, Catherine Hayuma, 25, and Bianca Sheyo who is also 25 years of age, were part of a racket involving supply of various drugs to customers in coastal areas of North Goa," the police official said.

In yet another raid, a native of Gujarat, Udit Daswani was also arrested for possession of marijuana worth Rs 6,000.

The series of raids by the Goa Police follows a war of words between the Hyderabad city police.

"Whenever we communicate with them (Goa police), negative results come. If we try to nab someone (accused persons from Goa), we don't get them. There is nothing to hide, I am telling openly that Goa Police are not cooperating," Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand had said on September 3.

Goa Director General of Police Jaspal Singh has however claimed that Goa Police had received no documentation from its Hyderabad counterparts seeking assistance.

"If anytime we don’t get support from Hyderabad or any other state, we have never told it through the media, but we approach senior officials. In fact, many police from other states come here. If they don’t get support from any police station then they should approach seniors. If any police from other states, without informing our police, arrest anyone then it is illegal," Singh said.