Police clueless as Israeli drug dealer goes ‘missing’

PANAJI - Israeli drug dealer Yaniv Benaim alias Atala who was alleged to have links with Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik’s son has gone missing for more than a month, according to police Monday.

Atala, who was arrested in March along with seven other policemen during the drug mafia nexus investigation, had been released on bail in June.

Speaking to reporters, Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Salgaonkar said that Atala was last seen at the resort he was residing in July 9.

“We were told that he had checked out of Angel resort (a few km from Panaji) July 4. We don’t know his whereabouts now,” Salgaonkar said.

The official also said that according to the conditions of his bail, Atala was to report to the crime branch whenever his presence was required.

“We will write to the court that we cannot find him,” Salgaonkar said, adding that Atala had not reported to the crime branch for the last few weeks.

Atala was arrested after his former model girlfriend Lucky Farmhouse uploaded his videos on the internet in which the Israeli was boasting of his connections to policemen and politicians in Goa.

Lucky has also said that Atala has links with Roy, Ravi Naik’s son, which both father and son have denied.

Police have been accused of sabotaging the investigation into the drug mafia nexus by both the opposition as well as other parties which are a part of the ruling coalition. These parties have demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the role of politicians in the drug mafia.

The high court has also passed strictures on the police investigations suggesting that the investigating agency was trying to cover up the role of politicians in the drug mafia.