Daijiworld Special Correspondent - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Jul 20: Goa police are trying to crackdown on the drug cartel in the state by pinning down foreigners overstaying in Goa, officials confirmed.

"Foreigners  don't overstay without the reason. Why do you stay back unless there is lot of benefits? Drug paddling is one of the major reason for them to stay back,'' deputy inspector general Ujjwal Mishra stated.

Seven Nigerians and a Kenian arrested in the recent raids have links with the drug trade and all of them were overstaying in Goa. Three of them had no valid passport, the DIG said.

The police investigations have revealed that all these foreigners were acting as a "drug carriers'' at the behest of the main suppliers.

"We have not managed to get big haul from the raids as the tourist season is not on,'' Mishra said.

Goa police officials, confirming a huge drug trade in the state, stated that the state police are trying to immobilise the carriers before the season starts so that there can be control on it during the tourist season.

The DIG said that the recent arrests have unearthed national and international connections in this trade."The interrogations have revealed that they had procured the drugs from outside the Goa,'' he said. 

While Nigerians seems to be the main target of the state police, the DIG denied that there is any particular country nationals involved in the trade. "We cannot single out one particular group or country. We nabbed Nigerians because there was specific information about them,'' Mishra said.

The Goa police foreigners' registration branch has hardly 17 Nigerians and 53 Kenians, who are in Goa for more than six months. "British are maximum. We have 1,095 British staying here for more than six months,'' Rina Tarcotto, deputy superintendent of police, attached to foreigners registration branch, stated.