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-------------------------------------------------------------- GOA DESC TOURISM WATCH for World Tourism Day on 27th September News You Can Use ------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Customs raid nets 'ketamine' haul -------------------------------------------------- by Mayabhushan Nagvenkar
A whopping 17.5 litres of 'ketamine' (valued at several crore of rupees in the European market) were seized in a raid conducted by an anti-smuggling unit of Customs in Panjim on Wednesday. The Customs officials nabbed a Spaniard Martinez Liano, who was in the process of dispatching the consignment, disguised in rose-water bottles to his native country Spain. The Spaniard has been booked under anti-smuggling laws.
Incidentally, a 23-year-old Spaniard, believed to be his wife was found dead, and ketamine overdose is suspected to be the cause. Her body is currently in the Goa Medical College morgue, but a local doctor is reported to have certified the death by "natural causes". GMC source said, an autopsy examination will be conducted if a request to that effect would be made, from the local law enforcing authorities.
Sources in the Customs anti-smuggling unit informed, that the intelligence was relayed to them by Vasco-based Customs Superintendent Girish Lotlikar. The further stated, that acting on the intelligence inputs, a trap was laid and the Spaniard was nabbed. He was reportedly caught in the process of dispatching the consignment of ketamine disguised in rosewater bottles through a Panjim-based courier service.
A trap was duly laid and yielded results, when Martinez stepped in with his consignment on Wednesday. On interrogation, the Spaniard revealed that 3.5 litres of the drug, which is used as a post operative painkiller, was stashed at his residence, which was later seized by Customs sleuths.
Officials also claim, that Martinez had bought the drug across the counter from a pharmacy in Vagator. The drug, which is hardly a drug favoured by medical practitioners, is liberally stocked by pharmacies along the coast and is also easily in 10 ml vials available across the counter, even without prescriptions.
Interestingly, Ketamine is not a part of the list of prohibitive drugs and is widely used by foreigners and locals on the rave party scene as a cheap stimulating drug. It may be recalled, that three Britishers were arrested and sentenced to imprisonment after they were found in possession of ketamine, which is a banned drug in Europe.
British investigators had confirmed to an Indian national daily, that large consignments of ketamine was being smuggled from Goa into Europe using the same rose-water trick. --------------------------- HERALD 19/9/03 --------------------------
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