NCB joins hands with other agencies to curb drug trafficking in Goa zone
Panaji, Aug 8
Strong coordinated action against organised drug trafficking was in focus as NCB's Deputy Director General Vishal M. Sanap and Inspector General of Goa Police K.R. Chaurasia co-chaired the 2nd Joint Coordination Committee meeting of 2026 for Goa Zone, an official said on Saturday.
Representatives of multiple law enforcement agencies reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening inter-agency coordination, intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement efforts to effectively combat drug trafficking and dismantle organised narcotics networks, said the official in a statement.
The meeting was attended by senior officers from Goa Police, Customs, DRI, ED, IB, Department of Posts, FDA and police units from Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka, it said.
The discussions focused on NCB's Vision Document (2026-2029), emerging trafficking trends, prison-based drug trafficking, use of drones for smuggling contraband, cryptocurrency-linked money laundering, seizures at Goa Airport and trafficking through postal channels, it said.
The meeting also deliberated on strengthening financial investigations in intermediate quantity cases, effective use of the PITNDPS Act against habitual offenders, timely sharing of actionable intelligence, joint interrogation and identification of clandestine drug laboratories through Red Flag Indicators (RFI).
The issue of sale of Tapentadol (Tydol) and other prescription medicines without valid prescriptions was also discussed with FDA, along with measures to strengthen enforcement. Discussions further covered withdrawal of prosecution and deportation of foreign nationals in appropriate cases.
Earlier, the NCB trained a batch of 26 Maharashtra Police officers of the rank of Inspectors and above as Master Trainers in NDPS Act enforcement in a five-day programme in UP's Ghaziabad.
Sharing information about the completion of the course in a message on X, the NCB said, "Building on the success of the first Training of Trainers (ToT) Programme conducted from 20-24 April 2026, NCB, in collaboration with BPR&D-CDTI, Ghaziabad, successfully organised the second 5-day ToT Programme from 27-31 July 2026 for Maharashtra Police officers."
"The programme trained 26 officers of the rank of Inspectors and above as Master Trainers in NDPS Act enforcement," it said.
The NCB said that with the successful completion of both programmes, Maharashtra Police now has a pool of 56 Master Trainers to further strengthen drug law enforcement capacity across the State.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see they're focusing on the PITNDPS Act for habitual offenders. Repeat offenders have been getting away with slaps on the wrist for too long. Also, the training of Maharashtra Police as Master Trainers is a smart move — capacity building at the state level will make a real difference.
The fact that they're discussing cryptocurrency-linked money laundering is a big step. Drug cartels have gone digital, and our enforcement needs to keep up. But I'm a bit concerned about the "deportation of foreign nationals" part — are we sure they're not just shipping the problem to another country without proper prosecution?
As someone who visits Goa every year, this is reassuring. The sale of Tapentadol without prescriptions is a huge issue — I've seen pharmacies handing out these pills like sweets. Glad the FDA is finally being brought into the picture. Let's hope the enforcement is as strict as the talk.
The Vision Document 2026-2029 sounds ambitious, but I want to see concrete outcomes. The mention of Red Flag Indicators for clandestine labs is interesting — these are the pioneering steps that can actually dismantle networks at the source. However, let's not overlook the need for better rehabilitation programs for addicts too. Prevention is as important as enforcement.
💯 needed! The coordinated effort between Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka police is crucial because drug networks don't respect state borders. The training of 56 Master Trainers in Maharashtra is a solid investment. But I hope the smaller coastal states like Goa also get similar training resources — we're on the front lines here.