Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Mar 25: On March 25 in Panaji, police reported the arrest of a 22-year-old man in Quepem for allegedly possessing suspected ganja valued at around Rs 30,000.

The accused, identified as Zakir Pirzade, a resident of Quepem, was taken into custody by a team from the Quepem Police Station. The operation was led by Police Sub-Inspector Digamber Bondre and carried out on Tuesday in the Nirmal Nagar area of South Goa.

Authorities stated that approximately 297 grams of a green leafy substance, suspected to be ganja, was seized during the raid. In addition to the narcotics, police recovered Rs 20,000 in cash, a mobile phone, and a Yamaha Fascino scooter. The total value of the seized items is estimated at Rs 1.5 lakh.

A case has been registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. He was presented before a judicial magistrate, who remanded him to three days of police custody. Investigators are now questioning him to trace the source of the drugs and identify possible supply chains and connections.

The investigation is being conducted under the supervision of senior officials, including PI Prashal Dessai, SDPO Ashish Shirodkar, and SP South Santosh Dessai.

In a related development, the Enforcement Directorate had, in February, provisionally attached properties worth around Rs 7.17 crore in Goa as part of a wider money laundering probe linked to international drug trafficking. The action was taken by its Panaji Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The case originated from a complaint filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau in March 2021. Key accused named in that investigation include Ugochukwu Solomon Ubabuko, Infinity John, and Prasad Prakash Walke, all booked under the NDPS Act.