Despite a haul of 5.8 kg of ganga on February 5, 2024, officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) believe that much more can be achieved if people realise how their indifference leads to the erosion of society.
“People prefer to close their eyes when (drug) peddling is involved because it financially benefits them. Rooms are normally rented back to peddlers once they are out on bail because they get more rent and are even paid in their absence,” discloses Surjeet Singh, Superintendent of NCB, Goa.
“A landlord renting his room must know why he is being paid more than what the rent is, or for that matter a taxi driver should be aware why a Nigerian only uses him to deliver packages. Being aware and keeping quiet does not help,” reasons staff from the NCB in Goa.
“NCB across India has received a tremendous financial boost with the present dispensation in the Home Ministry but we will be able to pat our backs once people start realising the importance of their role,” admits Singh who has been overseeing operations in Goa since the last three years.
“Dealers in Goa normally tap room boys or taxi drivers or even staff working in restaurants, close to the beach, and at the end of the day profits are shared with the network of dealers becoming big,” explains the NCB superintendent.
This is evident in the drug operation that the NCB busted earlier this month. The 5.8 kg of ganga was seized from two individuals from Bihar who claimed the seedless drug was from an area close to that state and the two individuals, according to an officer who was part of the nabbing team, were intercepted after surveillance.
The modus operandi of the two Biharis, according to the interrogation officers, was to hire a room around the coastal area and start selling drugs in small quantities through a network that included locals.
One area the NCB finds hurdles is in information gathering. “Peddlers in Goa have many associates in comparison to other States. If one goes to make an inquiry locally, information reaches the peddler within minutes of the inquiry being made and hence the need of adopting a different approach,” explains Singh who believes good prevails over bad, despite the odds.
Peddlers in Goa have many associates in comparison to other States. If one goes to make an inquiry locally, information reaches the peddler within minutes of the inquiry being made and hence the need of adopting a different approach
Surjeet Singh, Superintendent of NCB, Goa
The NCB, according to senior officers in New Delhi, is shortly coming out with a new app that is expected to be informant friendly. “Today communication is so smooth that news can safely be shared,” stated a senior NCB officer from the capital city.
Each State narcotics cell stands to gain much more than officers with the NCB, though now information is easily shared with the emphasis on Information Technology (IT) due to the presence of the local police beat officer.
“The information a police beat officer gathers through his rounds plays a very important role in fanning out dealers in any community. That information first goes to the local police,” disclosed a NCB officer based in Goa.
NCB in Goa is also aware of the presence of chemical drugs. “We have caught small-time dealers with commercial quantities but it does not justify our work. Despite a small team, our focus is on a big catch and we intend doing it by inculcating in people the need of their involvement,” assures Singh.
“The NCB has started an e-pledge whereby citizens are sent a certificate after they pledge to stay off drugs and support the fight against it. If we get hundred people who sign, the message will at least filter through ten and that is a good beginning,” believes Singh.
Drugs, according to Singh, are just not area based though its presence can run deep in some places. But, “if the mentality to fight exists, the battle is not difficult,” assures Singh.
