Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Mar 19: The Goa government has identified economic motives and the lure of quick financial gains as the primary reasons for the involvement of locals in the drug trade, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the Legislative Assembly.
In a written reply, Sawant, who also holds the Home portfolio, stated that the findings were based on investigation records, intelligence inputs, and disclosures made by accused persons arrested in narcotics smuggling cases.
“Economic motive and the lure of quick financial gains have been identified as primary reasons for involvement in narcotic activities,” the reply said. It further pointed to peer influence, social exposure, and association with existing drug networks—particularly in tourist and nightlife hubs—as additional contributing factors, especially among the youth.
Data tabled in the House revealed that 121 narcotics cases were registered in 2021, with arrests including 29 Goans, 87 non-Goans, and 22 foreign nationals. In 2022, cases rose to 154, with 57 Goans, 104 non-Goans, and 29 foreigners arrested.
In 2023, 140 cases were recorded, leading to the arrest of 47 Goans, 98 non-Goans, and 21 foreign nationals. The number of cases increased again in 2024 to 162, with 55 Goans, 113 non-Goans, and 24 foreigners apprehended. In 2025, 163 cases were registered, involving 76 Goans, 105 non-Goans, and 32 foreign nationals.
Police data also showed a rise in drug seizures, with 171.2 kg of narcotics confiscated in 2023, increasing to 275.08 kg in 2024, before slightly declining to 234.28 kg in 2025.
In a significant crackdown, the Goa Police Crime Branch in April last year arrested three individuals and seized 4.325 kg of cocaine valued at over Rs 43.2 crore in the international market. The contraband, sourced from Thailand, was cleverly concealed in 32 packets of wafers and coffee, marking one of the biggest high-value seizures in the state.
The Home Department maintained that there is no concrete evidence of an overall increase in drug trade, attributing the higher seizure figures to improved inter-agency coordination and more effective intelligence gathering.
Officials said teams from the district police, crime branch, and anti-narcotics cell are continuously conducting raids across the state under provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.
The government has also stepped up preventive and enforcement measures, including intensified patrolling in tourist-heavy areas, integrated check-posts (nakabandi), and surprise inspections at bars, restaurants, and beach shacks.
In addition, awareness programmes targeting youth and students are being conducted, along with strengthened community policing and coordination with social welfare and educational institutions to address the root causes of drug abuse and trafficking.
The government reiterated its commitment to tackling the menace through a combination of strict enforcement and preventive strategies.