Anti-narcotics official forced to open fire during Goa drug raid

Panaji, Oct 7: An anti-narcotics squad led by a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Superintendent had to resort to firing a warning shot as some residents in a North Goa village tried to attack the official during an anti-narcotics search and raid operation.

The incident in the coastal village of Arambol comes days after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government would have "zero tolerance" for drugs.

North Goa Superintendent of Police Chandan Choudhary confirmed the incident and said an FIR would be filed soon.

"One shot was fired by the NCB official to disperse the crowd. A statement of the NCP Superintendent J. Ranjan is being recorded at the Pernem Police Station and an FIR will be filed," Choudhury said.

Ranjan was accompanied by four police personnel from a nearby police station while on the search and raid operation in Arambol, a famous beach tourism destination also known for easy availability of drugs.

Police sources said Ranjan was forced to discharge his weapon after he got engaged in a scuffle with a local resident, which enraged local residents.

They were in the process of identifying those people, who were involved in the scuffle with Ranjan, the sources said.

"After the statement is recorded, we will form teams to identify those who tried to gang-up on Ranjan, which forced him to fire in the air," a police official said.