Intense patrolling by cops in city forced dealers, fearing arrest, to divert consignments to the beach state
Intense patrolling by cops in city forced dealers, fearing arrest, to divert consignments to the beach state
Intense patrolling by Mumbai Police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), and others, following a nationwide terror alertu00a0 especially the high alert issued for the city after a perceived threat from terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba days before New Year's eve ensured a largely drug-free year end celebration, with patrol guards even combing the seas to keep the dope away.
Drug mafia insiders said the supply in the city was very limited as compared to the festive season in the last three years, owing to the close vigil
"Due to the major threat alert issued for the city, police presence was ubiquitous," said an insider.
"There was heavy patrolling of the seas too. This kept the drugs away from Mumbai," he added.
Drug dealers who struck deals in Mumbai, sensing the tight screening, diverted the consignments meant for the city to the country's party capital, Goa, for rave parties dotting the Christmas to New Year's Eve celebration spree.
"The stepped up vigil definitely deterred smugglers from entering Mumbai," pointed out Sunil Paraskar, deputy commissioner of police, ANC, Mumbai.
According to drug mafia insiders, drug supply in the city was very limited as compared to the festive patch in the last three years, owing to the close vigil.
There were barely any drug-related arrests made around New Year's time, as smugglers feared being arrested and sent the drugs straight to Goa for circulation.
The interrogation of an Australian national who was arrested from Anjuna beach in Goa for drug peddling on January 1 revealed that he decided to head to Goa at the last minute because he feared being arrested in Mumbai.
The usual suspects
Foreseeing a huge influx of drugs during the party season, ANC, Mumbai launched a special drive in December and kept tabs on the usual suspected drug smugglers.
"We also conducted surprise raids in their houses to ensure that they do not trick us," said Paraskar.
The ANC of Goa Police arrested Oliver Pinz (25), for allegedly selling drugs at Anjuna beach.
The police recovered LSD tablets worth Rs 3 lakh from him. They also arrested two Israelis for allegedly possessing cocaine and LSD.
All parcels scanned
"This was the first time that the supply of drugs in Mumbai was so low during the party season," pointed out a senior official from ANC, Mumbai.
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Since there was a major alert, all parcels and consignments were thoroughly scanned, scaring away the drug smugglers," the official added.
Moreover, with the police cracking down on drug supply in the city in the last one and a half years, with the arrest of over 350 peddlers, including 48 foreigners, the drug supply has abated.
In the last 16-odd months, raids and seizures of drugs worth Rs 9 crore have broken the backbone of smack
suppliers in the city, officials said.
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