Thaindian News

Panaji, Oct 1 (IANS) Linkages between the police and drug mafia in Goa were emerging in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) probe into the illicit narcotics trade in the state, a senior agency official said Saturday.

Speaking to reporters, CBI Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Pravin Salunke, whose federal agency has been handed over the probe by the Goa government after the police failed to crack the nexus, however, said the CBI had not yet stumbled upon politicians’ links to the drug mafia.

“Linkages of the police to the accused are emerging… But we have not come across leads to politicians yet,” Salunke said.

Salunke also told reporters that witnesses in the case were changing their earlier statements because they were being pressurised.

The CBI is investigating three separate drug cases in Goa in which several policemen and drug dealers have been booked.

The three cases form part of the police-politician-drug mafia nexus, in which state Home Minister Ravi Naik’s son Roy has been linked.

The nexus was exposed after a Swedish model and an ex-girlfriend of an Israeli drug dealer Yaniv Benaim alias Atala uploaded videos of him boasting of his police links.

Atala, who was subsequently arrested by the police last year along with eight other police officers, later jumped bail and is now awaiting extradition in Lima, Peru.

Goa Police have also arrested another Israeli drug dealer, David Driham alias Dudu, who allegedly had links with politicians, senior police officers and journalists.