Goa MLA says drugs peddled at central jail; CM promises probe

NCP MLA Churchill Alemao on Wednesday disclosed in the Goa Legislative Assembly that drug cartels operated freely from the Central Jail in Colvale and inmates had easy access to dugs.

Responding to Alemao's claim, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured an inquiry and also asked the MLA whether he can identify the peddlers, to which the latter replied in the affirmative.

Alemao, a former chief minister, had been lodged in the jail in a bribery case in the year 2015.

"Drug cartels were having a free hand at the Central Jail at Colvale due to which banned substances are freely available in the prison for the inmates," Alemao said, adding that he had come across policemen and inmates peddling drugs.

Alemao made the disclosure while speaking on the Demands for Grants on the Home department which is headed by the chief minister.

Alemao was arrested in August 2015 for his alleged involvement in the Louis Berger International Inc (LBI) bribery scam.

"During my stay at the jail, (for a period of three months), I saw that 80 per cent of the inmates, majority of whom were foreigners, were peddling drugs in the jail premises. Police were aware about what was happening but they never took any action.

"Few policemen were even hand in glove with the drug paddlers," he said.