Drug Menace Reaches Educational Institutions And Rural Areas, Warns Goa MLA
A report published by O Heraldo on Tuesday has drawn attention to concerns raised by Goa MLA Vijai Sardesai over the worsening drug situation in the state.
Sardesai, as quoted in the report, described Goa as rapidly turning into a “narcotic hub”, with the drug trade reportedly extending its reach well beyond cities into educational institutions and rural areas.
The report noted that Sardesai expressed disappointment over enforcement inconsistencies, urging the state government to recalibrate its approach to focus on the larger supply chain rather than just users.
According to O Heraldo, Sardesai highlighted a troubling trend where law enforcement agencies from other states, notably Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, have been arresting drug suppliers and traffickers in Goa, while Goa Police are primarily targeting users and addicts.
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“Police from Andhra and Hyderabad are coming to Goa and arresting drug suppliers and peddlers, while the Goa Police seem to be focusing mostly on users and addicts. There are a lot of errors here,” he reportedly said.
The MLA reportedly called for better coordination, intelligence gathering, and a strategic shift to curb the upstream networks responsible for trafficking narcotics into the state.
Following the publication of the report, there has been rising concern among citizens and civil society groups. Social media platforms have seen a surge of posts demanding that the Goa government act decisively, not just on the ground but at a policy level.
Public concerns include the proximity of drug activity to schools and colleges, posing risks to students, the lack of visible, high-level enforcement against organised traffickers, and A perceived gap in accountability within local policing structures.
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Many citizens are also calling for: A re-evaluation of current enforcement protocols, transparent reporting on major drug cases, a dedicated anti-narcotics coordination cell to work across jurisdictions.
You can’t promote tourism by hiding corpses under palm trees.
Every drug bust that’s buried is a crime shared.
The silence isn’t incompetence—it’s collusion.
Goa deserves better.#GoaDrugsCrisispic.twitter.com/Cbhp4D9BOS— Mavish Choudhary (@MavishChou47067) July 23, 2025
The rot isn’t underground. It’s in plain sight.#GoaDrugsCrisispic.twitter.com/xPMgoRJCo6
— Anurag Deshmukh (@Itz_me_anurag_) July 23, 2025
This crisis is not new
But it is growing unchecked
Local communities are angry
They deserve real protection#GoaDrugsCrisis pic.twitter.com/AWFJ4ntw8b— Neha (@neha_giri__) July 23, 2025
