NCB arrests Anjuna couple, 2 Nigerians after drug raids

NT NETWORK

Panaji

The Narcotics Control Bureau has arrested four  people – a Goan married couple from Anjuna  and two Nigerians – in two  separate raids conducted in Anjuna and Parra that led to the  seizure of haul of ecstasy tablets, LSD and Nepali charas.

Three NCB officers escaped with minor injuries which they sustained while pursuing  one of the accused in the thick vegetation in Anjuna.

Sameer Wankhede, NCB zonal director (Maharashtra and Goa), disclosed that the arrested accused are Roque Jose Fernandez and his wife Sophie Fernandez from Anjuna and two Nigerians – Chidi Osita Okonkwo alias Benjamin, and Onayeka Egike.

The raids were conducted by the NCB teams from Mumbai and Goa under the supervision of Wankhede.

NCB teams seized 60 tablets of ecstasy/MDMA (commercial quantity), 350 gram of Nepali charas and 20 blots of LSD (commercial quantity).

“As part of the continuous crackdown  on drug suppliers and peddlers in Goa, the NCB teams launched two operations in Goa and registered two  cases in a short duration of 24 hours,”  Wankhede said.

Acting on a reliable tip-off, the NCB conducted the raid at Gaum Waddo, Anjuna and seized 37 tablets of ecstasy/MDMA and a substantial quantity of charas, and  apprehended Roque Fernandez.

In the follow-up operation, the NCB recovered 340 grams of Nepali charas from the dicky of Roque Fernandez’s  two-wheeler, informed NCB officials.

According to the NCB, the Anjuna couple  have operated the drug racket from his ice-cream parlour-cum-grocery store, catering to tourists.

Orders for drugs were usually taken at the store, and Roque Fernandez  would deliver the ordered drugs from a guesthouse in Anjuna,  NCB officials said, adding that payments were made digitally using Google Pay.

On preliminary disclosure by Roque Fernandez, the NCB intercepted Benjamin with 23 tablets of ecstasy/MDMA.

Benjamin was apprehended after he was chased on foot for around 500 metre  in the thick vegetation. During the hot pursuit, three NCB officers sustained minor injuries.

Benjamin is said to be the main supplier of the drugs, the NCB said.

In the second raid, the NCB apprehended Egike and seized 20 blots of LSD from him at Parra. A vehicle he used in the crime was also seized.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that  Egike  would use unique modus operandi to deliver the drugs: he  used  passwords to authenticate the costumer.

Egike would change location of delivery multiple times making customers to wait for five to six hours to ascertain their ‘genuineness’.

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