PANAJI, Jan 11 (IANS): After conducting random raids on the beaches of Anjuna and Morjim and seizing a cocktail of
drugs worth more than Rs 1.8 lakh from six  foreigners, the North Goa police is now examining whether the
owners of shacks and discotheques, where people consume or sell drugs, can be booked for abetment.

“We will be examining if the shack owners and discotheques can be booked as abettors, if anyone is found
consuming or in possession of drugs in these places,” said SP (north) Bosco George. He further said, “This
is the first step where we have booked people in possession of drugs. Now we will try and identify the shacks and discotheques and if drugs are found here, we will book cases against them. It is the responsibility of the shack owners and discotheques to ensure that no one sells or consumes drugs in their premises”.

This statement came after the North Goa police arrested six foreigners in possession of a cocktail of drugs
after conducting random raids. One of the foreigners arrested worked in a shack at Anjuna and was caught in
possession of drugs opposite his working place at 9.20 pm on Saturday.

The police allegedly found 3.82 grams of MDMA powder and 34 capsules of MDMA, all worth Rs 44,000 in possession of a 20-year-old Nepali, Sukuram Balhee. Also 142 grams of charas worth Rs 14,000 was found on him. Interestingly, Sukuram works in Curlies beach shack at Anjuna and was caught in illegal possession of the drugs opposite Curlies shack in Dando beach. In another instance at Anjuna, the police recovered four bottles of LSD worth Rs 30,000, about five grams of cocaine worth Rs 15,000, 67 LSD papers worth Rs 67,000 and 70 grams of charas worth Rs 7000. Drugs being allegedly carried by Swedish national Virkkunen Petteri, 32, were worth Rs 1.19 lakh. Virkkunun, who had arrived on a tourist visa in India on October 10, 2009, was found in illegal possession of the drugs.

Meanwhile, in another raid in Morjim, the police arrested a 19-year-old Dutch national, Mathan Juler, allegedly
in possession of 10.05 grams of charas. Jules had arrived in India on December 20, 2009. While the raids in Morjim and Anjuna were conducted at random, police sources said that they had specific information about the sale of drugs in Parra. The police team also kept a watch and arrested three Israelis -- Ezra Natalie, 24, Hajaj Maor, 21 and Koren Elad, 21 near Parra church allegedly with 40 grams of charas and 20 grams of ganja, all worth about Rs 5000, in their possession.

The three were on a tourist visa and had arrived in the state on December 18, 2009. All six have been booked
under section 20 (b) (ii) (a) of the NDPS Act. Sources said that when police teams headed by two DySP’s and seven PIs conducted rapid checks on the beaches and shacks in the coastal belt on Saturday night, they saw several persons run helter-shelter on seeing the police team. However, the police managed to catch the six foreigners red handed with the booty. The operation which started at about 8.15 pm, went on till the wee hours of Sunday morning.