Every coin has two sides and we have to check them both before forming our opinion about something. Till date most of the news and stories appeared in the media about foreign tourists showing them as a victim of the various crimes right from robbery to rape, but here is a new angle to the story that shows there are many foreigners who are also involved in criminal activities.
The statistics made by the NCRB National Crime Records Bureau has revealed that contrary to the perception of foreign nationals being the victim of crimes in Goa, there are more foreigners involved into the criminal activities in the state.
Let us a go back a few years ago when the Nigerian national was murdered in Arpora by some locals over the drug-related matter, that showed that Africans nationals living in Goa are involved into the drug business.
The recent case of Russians involved in the drugs and ATM thefts came as a shock when the police managed to nab the gang of culprits from north Goa with huge inventories and tools used in the crime.
According to the report published in the Times of India with a number of foreign nationals involved in crimes like ATM thefts and narcotics cases in the state, Goa police will have to go back to the drawing board to plan a new strategy to counter the menace. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals that contrary to the perception that foreigners are often victims of crime in Goa, statistics show that more crimes are committed by them than against them.
Inspector general of police (IGP) Jaspal Singh said, “In an interconnected and liberalized world, free movement of ideas, people, capital, technology and tourists is the norm. Screening of visa applications is the means available to Indian missions abroad to ensure that people of dubious credentials do not gain entry to the country.”
After the new development, Goa Police is going to be more tougher on the foreigners entering into the state as the they have decided to write to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to make the screening of visa applications so that the foreigners do not get visa easily.
“Nations are, however, supposed to respect reciprocal visa concessions granted to each other. At the local level, we will ensure that a sharp vigil is maintained on their activities without being too obtrusive to avoid an adverse effect on tourism,” the IGP added.
According to the sources, in the year 2018 Goa police arrested more than 30 foreign nationals engaged in to the various criminal activities including that of the Narcotic trade in the state.
Police arrested nationals from Nigeria, Russia, UK, Ghana, Kazakhstan, France, Turkey, and Austria. As per police statistics, the number of Nigerian and Russian nationals involved in the drug trade is high.
One of the senior police offer told the media that they used to look at the foreigners as a tourists but now that perception is changing as many foreigners are found involved into the criminal activities.
“There was a perception among police that foreigners are good tourists and they are not involved in crime, but the recent arrest of foreign nationals have forced the police force to change its mind and keep a watch on foreigners,” a senior police officer told the media.
The data issued by NCRB is not the new, and in the 2016 wherein 22 foreigners were found involved into the criminal activities while the crime committed by foreigners rose to 80 against the 69 cases booked in 2015. These 80 cases translated into 6.5% of all crimes committed by foreigners in India in 2016, said the sources.
Police recently arrested a Bulgarian national for attaching skimmer devices in two ATM booths in the state. Goa police also raided two rented houses at Dandoswada, Mandrem, on Friday and arrested four Russians on charges of dealing in narcotics and stealing cash from an ATM.
All four Russians had arrived in Goa in December 2018 on tourist visas. While one was arrested for cultivating cannabis, the other three were held with a narcotic substance suspected to be ganja. The foreigners were also accused of stealing Rs 9 lakh from a Bank of India ATM in Arambol, using a gas cutter.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, said the sources compared to the criminal activities going on the costal area of North Goa. All the cases does not come into the lights, revealed the sources. This shows that crime is unstoppable and the raids here and there and arrests will not stop the big sharks to remain out of the business as there are many locals are hand in gloves with the outsiders involved into the criminal activities.
