Police probe larger network in Malbhat drug arrest case

Margao: A week after Margao town police arrested Melroy Ricardo, 22, with over 500g of ganja, police are now looking into a suspected drug network operating from a Malbhat flat.

Ricardo was caught red-handed with ganja worth approximately Rs 50,400 during a late-night operation on June 14-15. Following Ricardo’s arrest under the NDPS Act, police initially thought it was a straightforward case of illegal drug possession.

However, the investigation took a new turn as examination of the flat where the arrest took place revealed suspicious details. The property is registered under a different person’s name, prompting questions about his potential connections to a wider operation.

Police believe drug activities may have been ongoing at the location for a long time. The flat’s registered owner is expected to be questioned once he recovers from a health issue. Police sources said that both Ricardo and the flat owner are residents of the same village in Curtorim.

Police sources said that several individuals have come under the scrutiny. While Ricardo was granted bail given the quantity of drugs involved, police are working to determine if he was operating independently or as part of a larger network.

PI Suraj Samant is leading the probe as the police are determined to uncover the full scope of the suspected drug operation. The probe assumes significance considering South Goa SP Tikam Singh Verma’s avowed commitment to launch a sweeping offensive against narcotics trafficking.“We are determined to break the backbone of drug supply chains entering Goa,” South Goa SP Tikam Singh Verma told TOI. “This isn’t merely about random arrests—we’re targeting the entire infrastructure supporting this illicit trade.”