23 arrested in Goa rave party held amid pandemic, drugs worth Rs 9 lakh seized
The Crime Branch of the Goa Police on Sunday busted a rave party in the beach village of Vagator in North Goa, amid a sustained spike in Covid-19 cases. Twenty-three people, including three women foreign nationals, were arrested for the possession of drugs.
Narcotics worth over Rs nine lakh were seized from the party which was going on amid the COVID-19 pandemic at a villa in Vagator village under Anjuna police station limits on Saturday night.
They were held under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for allegedly possessing banned substance during the police raid, a senior crime branch official said.
According to Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Shobhit Saxena, the raid was conducted as part of a police drive to ensure "public health and public safety" during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Upon thorough search, narcotics drugs including cocaine, MDMA, ecstasy tablets and charas were detected in sizable quantities and worth over Rs nine lakh. Three foreign women were also found in possession of narcotics," Saxena said.
"FIRs are registered for endangering public safety, violation of lockdown norms and for possession of narcotics drugs. Further investigation is on," Saxena also said.
An Indian man, who organised the party, was also arrested under the NDPS Act.
Nineteen others present at the party were arrested for violating the social distancing norms.
Most of them were domestic tourists who had come to the coastal state on a vacation, the official said.
The raid follows days after a warning by Goa Director General of Police Mukesh Meena, who had said that he was aware of rave parties taking place in Goa amid the pandemic and had warned strict action against such events.
Goa Director General of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena in a tweet said, "Zero tolerance to #Drugs and Ensuring Public Safety #goapolice Crime Branch busted a late-night party in Anjuna. 23 persons including 3 foreigners were arrested and narcotic drugs worth over Rs 9 lac were seized."
Goa Forward Party MLA Vinod Palyekar, who represents Siolim constituency, which covers Vagator village, claimed rave parties were happening in the coastal belt in full swing.
"Local police stations are bribed," he alleged in a Facebook post, adding "its high time that Anjuna police station be fully revamped including the police inspector."
"The state needs full-time Home Minister as Chief Minister Sawant's focus is on mining transportation. CM has failed in curtailing crime in the state. Lobo (BJP MLA Michael Lobo) can perform better as Home Minister," he added.
