Kamat calls for report on Goa police-politician-drug mafia nexus

PANAJI - Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat Wednesday called for a report from the home ministry in connection with the police-politician-drug mafia nexus case. A top police official also said that the state government was moving for the extradition of an Israeli drug dealer wanted in Goa, who was caught in Peru last week.

Kamat’s call for a report within 24 hours comes a few days after a local TV channel screened a sting operation conducted by the sister and girlfriend of arrested Israeli drug dealer David Driham alias Dudu, which showed an anti-narcotics police officer selling drugs to them.

I have asked them to submit a detailed report by tomorrow (Thursday) evening, Kamat told reporters outside his official residence Wednesday evening. He also said that he met with home ministry officials on the matter.

The Goa police has been rocked by the police-politician-drug mafia nexus issue for several months now. Seven police officials have already been arrested for their links to the drug mafia, after spy camera video footage uploaded on www.youtube.com last year by the Swedish girlfriend of another Israeli drug dealer Yaniv Benaim alaias Atala created much sensation here. The video showed Atala boasting of his links to the police.

We have prayed for expediting the process of extradition. We hope to get custody of Atala soon, Director General of Police Bhimsain Bassi said.

Bassi also said that a probe would be initiated into how Atala, who was granted bail by a local court, had crossed the international border and found his way back to Israel first and then Peru.