Calangute: Calangute police on Tuesday evening launched a special drive against touts in Calangute and Baga, arresting 13 individuals, each fined Rs 5,000 under the Tourist Trade (Prevention of Unlawful Activities) Act. The crackdown follows two viral videos that surfaced showing drugs being sold openly on the Calangute beach promenade and a Russian woman soliciting customers in Tito’s Lane, Baga.Police said the drive will continue until all tout activities are curbed to maintain order and protect Goa’s tourism image.However, stakeholders questioned the action’s effectiveness. “Everyone in Calangute knows that there are touts, and through them, prostitution and massage parlours are running. Whenever something happens and there is news, the police come, pick up a few people, fine them, and no major action is taken. And because no action is taken, this issue has kept growing,” said Manuel Cardozo, president of the traditional shack owners association in Calangute.Former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes alleged that sex and drug rackets operate with political backing. “If you go late at night, you see Kenyans and other foreign women soliciting in Calangute. Why is this only happening in Calangute? tnnIf they can stop Goan weddings at 10pm, why can’t they stop this?” he said.Fernandes further claimed that ‘hafta’ is being paid to politicians. “Without political backing, these things cannot happen. Because politicians get ‘hafta,’ the police don’t do anything. It’s all shared and it goes to the highest level. The drugs and prostitution rackets have become institutionalised,” he said.
