Panaji: Goa police have held one drug dealer Samsong and detained three in connection with Briton Scarlette Keeling’s murder. According to them, the teen was picked up from her friend’s place in Anjuna by two locals and taken to Lui Cafi around 1.30 am where six people allegedly consumed cocaine. Samsong left the place around 4 am with two men, who, cops suspect, were involved in the murder.
The probe into Scarlette’s death kicked off a row after cops initially said it was a case of drowning. It drew criticism from the media and Scarlette’s family, which said she was “raped and murdered’’. The police later ordered a second post-mortem. It changed the course of investigation as the doctors conducting it recommended
the death be investigated as homicide. It said there were 50-odd bruises on her body and many were ante-mortem. “In my heart I knew that she was murdered. I am pleased the second autopsy confirms it,” said Scarlette’s mother Fiona MacKown. Defending themselves, the cops blamed the doctors who conducted the first autopsy.
Tourism minister Francisco X Pacheco has sought the dismissal of Anjuna police sub-inspector Nerlon Albuquerque. Scarlette’s family has also filed a complaint against him for “lying”.
North Goa SP Bosco George has directed SDPO Bicholim Samba Sawant to conduct an inquiry against Albuquerque after MacKown lodged a complaint with him on Saturday.
MacKown also criticised the police for sending four male officers to accompany her to the morgue. She said the police had attempted to remove the body despite her making it clear that a second post-mortem should be conducted. According to her, cops cajoled and convinced her that it was a case of drowning and she must take the body back home quickly. TNN
SCARLETTE’S STORY
Nov 22, 2007: Reaches Goa with mom Fiona
Feb 18, 2008: Seminaked body found on Anjuna beach. First autopsy states death due to drowning
Feb 22: Fiona writes to Goa DGP crying foul play
Feb 23: Writes to Anjuna police alleging bid by the Goa Medical College undertaker to remove the body and take it to Mumbai
Mar 5: Cops decide to carry out 2nd autopsy
Mar 8: A GMC panel of 3 doctors conducts 2nd post-mortem, confirms murder
Mar 9: Cops register case under Section 304 of IPC, arrest Samsong, detain three others
Monday, March 10, 2008
Deadly cocktail of drug trade and police inaction-Foreign Dealers Carve Out Territories On Beache
Deadly cocktail of drug trade and police inaction
Foreign Dealers Carve Out Territories On Beaches
Panaji: With apologies to Vasco Da Gama, welcome to the tourist paradise that’s now facing a drugs-laced foreign invasion, fatal and much worse than the Portuguese one.
With Goa becoming a haven of drugs, rave and sex, its beaches have become a major market for foreign narcotics dealers. While Russians have taken over the drug business in Morjim and Arambol beaches, Israelis run the show at Vagator. The Scotts trade in Calangute and Baga and the Nigerians and Kenyans dominate Candolim.
The Goans themselves are not too far behind. In the once Hippie heartland of Anjuna, local boys are the main dealers. In 2005, the International Narcotics Control Board, India, had released a list of 248 major drug peddlers in the country, 90% of whom operated in North Goa. A year later, Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes raised the issue and also presented a list of drug dealers in the assembly. But everyone is “untouchable’’ in this sordid nexus between the peddlers, police and locals.
“I fear that soon the international drug lords will fight to gain dominance on Goa’s turf,’’ Fernandes said. But home minister Ravi Naik brushed it aside.
Investigations reveal that every tourist season popular drugs like cocaine, MDMA and ecstasy tablets are imported and sold at trance or rave parties. This year alone, approximately 500 kg of cocaine has been smuggled in by Nigerians and sold to locals by Kenyans. One gram of cocaine costs Rs 3,000 to 4,500. An ecstasy tablet ranges between Rs 400 and Rs 1,000 and a gram of pink and white powder of MDMA costs between Rs 1,000 and Rs 4,000, depending on whether it’s tourist season. The Israelis mainly deal in LSD, which costs about Rs 400 per drop.
The trade involves not just dealers and runners, but also ‘hiders’ and a ‘Mr Fixer’. “While the ‘hider’ hides the drugs for the dealer, ‘Mr Fixer’ coordinates the trade and ensures that it goes on peacefully. While the former gets Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh a month, ‘Mr Fixer’ gets a commission on every matter he sorts out,’’ said a rave party organizer.
A shack owner in Anjuna said the cops protect the trade as they too earn a cut. Interestingly, top cops admit there are some in the force who are complicit in the drug racket, but say they are helpless.
“Every cop and local knows who the drug dealers are and how the mafia runs in North Goa. Yet the Goa police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell seem to go after drug abusers rather than catch dealers,’’ said Fernandes. TNN
Foreign Dealers Carve Out Territories On Beaches
Panaji: With apologies to Vasco Da Gama, welcome to the tourist paradise that’s now facing a drugs-laced foreign invasion, fatal and much worse than the Portuguese one.
With Goa becoming a haven of drugs, rave and sex, its beaches have become a major market for foreign narcotics dealers. While Russians have taken over the drug business in Morjim and Arambol beaches, Israelis run the show at Vagator. The Scotts trade in Calangute and Baga and the Nigerians and Kenyans dominate Candolim.
The Goans themselves are not too far behind. In the once Hippie heartland of Anjuna, local boys are the main dealers. In 2005, the International Narcotics Control Board, India, had released a list of 248 major drug peddlers in the country, 90% of whom operated in North Goa. A year later, Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes raised the issue and also presented a list of drug dealers in the assembly. But everyone is “untouchable’’ in this sordid nexus between the peddlers, police and locals.
“I fear that soon the international drug lords will fight to gain dominance on Goa’s turf,’’ Fernandes said. But home minister Ravi Naik brushed it aside.
Investigations reveal that every tourist season popular drugs like cocaine, MDMA and ecstasy tablets are imported and sold at trance or rave parties. This year alone, approximately 500 kg of cocaine has been smuggled in by Nigerians and sold to locals by Kenyans. One gram of cocaine costs Rs 3,000 to 4,500. An ecstasy tablet ranges between Rs 400 and Rs 1,000 and a gram of pink and white powder of MDMA costs between Rs 1,000 and Rs 4,000, depending on whether it’s tourist season. The Israelis mainly deal in LSD, which costs about Rs 400 per drop.
The trade involves not just dealers and runners, but also ‘hiders’ and a ‘Mr Fixer’. “While the ‘hider’ hides the drugs for the dealer, ‘Mr Fixer’ coordinates the trade and ensures that it goes on peacefully. While the former gets Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh a month, ‘Mr Fixer’ gets a commission on every matter he sorts out,’’ said a rave party organizer.
A shack owner in Anjuna said the cops protect the trade as they too earn a cut. Interestingly, top cops admit there are some in the force who are complicit in the drug racket, but say they are helpless.
“Every cop and local knows who the drug dealers are and how the mafia runs in North Goa. Yet the Goa police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell seem to go after drug abusers rather than catch dealers,’’ said Fernandes. TNN
WAVES OF TRAGEDY BATTER GOA
Crime casts cloud over paradise
12 foreigners die in first two months of ’08
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Goa has always had its share of tourist troubles—from the nudist beaches of the sixties to drug peddling and, more recently, paedophilia rackets. But the spike in murder and rape incidents in the last two months has darkened the mood in this otherwise charming and peaceful coastal state.
Under threat are the beaches. That sandy magnet which attracts solo backpackers, families and young groups from all over the world, has become the site of several unnatural deaths. It has forced the Goa government, which is in a perpetual state of political intrigue, to take a hard look at a scenario where there are five lakh tourists every year and only 68 tourist police personnel for assistance.
In the last two years, more than 126 foreigners have died in Goa. The figures of the Goa police’s Foreigners Branch reveal that 55 died during 2006, 59 in 2007 and 12 in the first two months of 2008. The death of 15-year-old British girl Scarlette Keeling appears to be only the latest in a string of crimes.
A 32-year-old British woman was raped on January 12 allegedly by an unknown person in Panaji.
Two British women were sexually assaulted by the owner of a resort, a Russian woman was attacked by a beach cafe owner in South Goa and a Finnish woman alleged that two local men threatened to rape her at a beach shack.
Two Japanese tourists Urano Asaki and Keigo Yashiki died of drug abuse early this month.
‘‘Sexual harassment in public places is routine, even if you’re with your partner. Men stare at you and pass lewd comments. The police are not at all helpful,’’ said American tourist Dakini Runningbear, who says she was drugged and robbed at Anjuna. But the police say foreign tourists cannot afford to simply point the finger. They allege foreigners have little respect for local values and come to the state only for trance parties.
But others feel that a zero-tolerance approach to drugs is the only way to get rid of the rot. ‘‘Rape and sexual abuse are interlinked with drug abuse. If the government really wants to control this, it needs to seriously take on the local druglords rather than watch helplessly,” said Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Nitin Kunkolienkar.
12 foreigners die in first two months of ’08
Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Goa has always had its share of tourist troubles—from the nudist beaches of the sixties to drug peddling and, more recently, paedophilia rackets. But the spike in murder and rape incidents in the last two months has darkened the mood in this otherwise charming and peaceful coastal state.
Under threat are the beaches. That sandy magnet which attracts solo backpackers, families and young groups from all over the world, has become the site of several unnatural deaths. It has forced the Goa government, which is in a perpetual state of political intrigue, to take a hard look at a scenario where there are five lakh tourists every year and only 68 tourist police personnel for assistance.
In the last two years, more than 126 foreigners have died in Goa. The figures of the Goa police’s Foreigners Branch reveal that 55 died during 2006, 59 in 2007 and 12 in the first two months of 2008. The death of 15-year-old British girl Scarlette Keeling appears to be only the latest in a string of crimes.
A 32-year-old British woman was raped on January 12 allegedly by an unknown person in Panaji.
Two British women were sexually assaulted by the owner of a resort, a Russian woman was attacked by a beach cafe owner in South Goa and a Finnish woman alleged that two local men threatened to rape her at a beach shack.
Two Japanese tourists Urano Asaki and Keigo Yashiki died of drug abuse early this month.
‘‘Sexual harassment in public places is routine, even if you’re with your partner. Men stare at you and pass lewd comments. The police are not at all helpful,’’ said American tourist Dakini Runningbear, who says she was drugged and robbed at Anjuna. But the police say foreign tourists cannot afford to simply point the finger. They allege foreigners have little respect for local values and come to the state only for trance parties.
But others feel that a zero-tolerance approach to drugs is the only way to get rid of the rot. ‘‘Rape and sexual abuse are interlinked with drug abuse. If the government really wants to control this, it needs to seriously take on the local druglords rather than watch helplessly,” said Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Nitin Kunkolienkar.
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