Panaji: Police arrested four people in two separate narcotics cases and seized drugs worth about Rs 13 lakh. The alleged suppliers in both matters were also arrested. The arrests are part of the ongoing crackdown under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, with North Goa police focusing on tracing linkages and identifying suppliers instead of limiting investigations to those caught with contraband.North Goa SP Rahul Gupta said the Mapusa and Anjuna police stations recently pursued “backward linkages” in NDPS cases, which led to the arrests of four accused, including two alleged sources of supply.In the first case, on Oct 16, Mapusa police carried out a raid near the new KTC bus stand in Mapusa and arrested Zameer Mohammad Sheikh (37), a Mapusa resident. Police allegedly seized 30g of methamphetamine and two grams of MDMA, collectively valued at about Rs 3 lakh. During the follow-up investigation, police identified Umar Faruk Gaffar Kacchi (26), a resident of Verla-Canca, Bardez, as the alleged source of the contraband, and he was subsequently arrested, Gupta said.In the second case on the same day, Anjuna police raided an area near the football ground at Assagao and arrested Abhishek Singh (35), a resident of Thane West, Maharashtra. Police allegedly seized 97 LSD paper blots valued at about Rs 9.7 lakh. Gupta said Singh studied automation engineering in Pune and was looking to earn “easy” money by peddling drugs as a side business.Anjuna police then continued the investigation beyond the seizure, traced the alleged supplier to Mumbai, and arrested Hasan Imam Shaikh (50). Gupta said the alleged supplier had previously been involved in criminal cases registered by the Delhi and Mumbai police.Gupta said Goa police are working to identify the entire chain of procurement, supply, and distribution in NDPS cases. Investigating officers have been directed to systematically pursue backward linkages, identify suppliers and financiers, and conduct inter-state investigations wherever required.
