Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar denies existence of drug mafia in Goa, says narcotics are smuggled for trade and consumption

Panaji: There is no drug mafia in Goa, but drugs are smuggled into the state for “trade, consumption and transit”, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said during the ongoing Budget Session of the state legislative assembly on Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_4198035” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar. PTI[/caption] “There is no existence of ‘drug mafia’ in Goa. However, Goa being a tourist destination, narcotic drugs are smuggled in Goa for trade, consumption and transit,” Parrikar said in a written reply. “The drug dealers/suspects involved in narcotic activities operate in clandestine and well-organised manner. The information about narcotic activities is collected through sources and raids are conducted and the perpetrators of these crimes are arrested,” the written reply said. The Chief Minister was responding to a question from Congress MLAs Digambar Kamat, Antonio Caetano Fernandes, Wilfred D’sa, Clafasio Dias and Isidore Aleixinho Fernandes. While the chief minister is currently hospitalised in Mumbai for a pancreas-related ailment, his written replies were tabled and queries addressed by the senior-most minister in the BJP-led coalition cabinet and Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, who has been chosen as the leader of the treasury benches in Parrikar’s absence.