Goa, an internationally preferred tourist destination, now appears to be attracting a section of people from all over, which prefers psychotropic substances to narcotics, going with the changing times, demands as well as needs.
A local restaurant owner, running his outlet along a North Goan beach speaking to this daily informed that the drug users have now moved over from charas and ganja to MDMA and ecstasy tablets. “And unlike olden times, if a hotelier or a restaurant owner running business in the Anjuna-Baga-Candolim belt disallows use of drugs in his premises, he is often pressurised by the drug lobby to make them available,” he added.
Incidentally, narcotics strictly refers to any psychoactive compound with morphine-like effects, while psychotropic is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behaviour.
The state police have already confirmed the existence of such trance-inducing substances in Goa stating that the Anti-Narcotic Cell had seized drugs and psychotropic substances worth Rs1 crore in the international market, during 2009; the biggest haul ever. A recent report by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) claimed that Goa had emerged as a hot spot for narcotics trade in India, with the 2008 annual report describing Goa as a ‘Hash Destination.’
In fact, it all started in the mid-1960s, when a part of the deserted 105-km long Goan coastline with the company of beautiful blue sky and swaying palm trees were invaded by the hippies, who followed a subculture that was originally a youth movement born in the United States. Once in India, hippies went to many different destinations but gathered in large numbers either on the beaches of Goa or crossed the border into Nepal to spend months in Kathmandu. The flower power era, which witnessed smoking of chilums made from charas, hashish and ganja, has left many of its signs along the Goan beaches; flea markets being one of them.
Of late, the drug trade in Goa was highlighted in the international media ever since the British teenager, Scarlett Keeling was allegedly raped and murdered in 2008 after being administered a cocktail of drugs. The death of a 25-year-old Bangalore girl, Meha Bahuguna, due to suspected drug overdose at a dance festival during Christmas season last year endorsed the free availability of drugs in the state.
Speaking further, the restaurant owner informed that the much-in-demand MDMA, in liquid form, is made available as one drop absorbed in a blotting paper of the size of a postal stamp. “One drop of MDMA costs Rs 100 as compared to one gram of charas costing Rs 600 or equal quantity of cocaine costing between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,500,” he informed, noting that the one drop blotting paper is added to a bottle of some beverage, upon which it dissolves and the drink is ready to be shared by at least five persons. The cost of this blotting paper, per person therefore, further reduces to Rs 20.
“For hoteliers and restaurant owners, another disadvantage of such drops is that they keep the consumers in a state of trance for more than nine hours and during this period, when the consumers frantically dance or do other absurd things, they feel neither hungry nor thirsty, a side-effect of the drug,” the restaurant owner maintained, “which means, no one approaches the bar and there is no sale of drinks or even food.”
Questioned as regards the effects of MDMA, the restaurant owner said that some people, after its consumption dance hysterically while others play cards all by themselves. “Some of them are even sexually motivated,” he noted, pointing out that there is absolutely chaos during the drug-and-dance parties.
The restaurant owner further stated that this season, at least one such party is held every night in the Anjuna-Baga-Candolim belt in any one of the five earmarked places, including near the Chapora flea market. Replying to another question, he said that large number of Russian tourists, most of whom are atheists, and chemical engineers by profession have a deep knowledge of psychotropic substances besides the unconsciousness-inducing anaesthetic substances like halothane and ketamine.
“The flesh trade is also thriving in the area with young girls from the countries, which once belonged to the erstwhile Soviet Union, particularly Russia, forming part of such illegal activities,” the restaurant owner informed, mentioning that they are available for a rate between Rs 3,000 to Rs 7,000, depending on the bargaining power of the customer and the financial need of these girls.
Before concluding, the restaurant owner stated that an individual linked to a very very important person in the state is controlling the drug operations in this coastal belt. “The drug network finds it suitable to involve local hotels, restaurants, food joints and shacks in the narcotics business with regular commissions paid in exchange,” he revealed, “however, there are some people like me who don’t want to get involved in this hassle.”
It has now been an open secret that every cop and local resident knows who the drug dealers are, yet the Anti-Narcotics Cell seems to go after the drug abusers rather than the drug dealers.
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