6 Goa cops held for links with drug mafia

Six policemen, including a police inspector, were arrested on Thursday by the Goa Crime Branch for their alleged links with drug peddlers in the state.

The arrested six were booked by crime branch earlier for hatching conspiracy and under prevention of corruption act, Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravindra Yadav told PTI.

Inspector Ashish Shirodkar, who was named by an alleged Israeli drug dealer on a video tape shot with a spy camera, is among the arrested police personnel, he said.

The Crime Branch had been investigating the case after a video shot with a hidden camera surfaced on Internet in which the Israeli drug dealer identified as Yaniv Benaim alias Atala claimed that he had paid Shirodkar a hefty sum to buy drugs seized by the anti-narcotic cell.

The video also showed Atala narrating how police attached to anti-narcotic cell themselves were pushing drugs in the market.

All the six policemen -- the inspector, a head constable and four constables -- were earlier placed under suspension, Yadav said.

Crime Branch had arrested Atala a fortnight ago. He is currently lodged in police custody.