Second arrest in attempt to smuggle cocaine to imprisoned murder-accused in Goa prison

Police in Goa on Saturday conducted a second arrest in connection with a failed attempt earlier this week by a jail guard to smuggle cocaine into the state's largest prison, the Colvale central jail, in North Goa.

The cocaine, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi was intended for a murder under-trial Vikat Bhagat, who was arrested for the murder of a 28-year-old Irish woman in the beach village of Canacona, near Karnataka, in 2017.

"The Colvale police station has recorded a second arrest in connection with the cocaine smuggling attempt at the prison premises. We have arrested one Yogesh Pagi from Canacona, from whom a prison guard Suresh Gaude (who has already been arrested) sourced the cocaine from," Dalvi said.

The official said that the cocaine was being smuggled into the prison for Bhagat.

Danielle McLaughlin was holidaying in the South Goa beach village, when Bhagat, a history-sheeter, who had befriended her allegedly stabbed her with a broken beer bottle in 2017.
At least half a dozen prison guards have been arrested over the last few years for trying to smuggle drugs into the Colvale central jail premises