CBI brings drug lord Atala from Peru to Goa

Panaji, Aug 26: Israeli drug lord Yaniv Benaim alias Atala, wanted in connection with the drug-nexus cases in Goa was brought here from Peru by the CBI today (Aug 26), almost a year after he jumped the bail and left the country.

CBI Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Pravin Salunke told PTI that Atala was brought to Goa by early morning flight from Mumbai and was taken to CBI Goa office at Bambolim.

The fugitive, a prime witness in the drug nexus case involving policemen and kin of politicians, will be produced for remand before Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court in Mapusa town here.

Superintendent of Police (CBI) S Gavli said the formalities to get his maximum remand for the custodial interrogation are on.

The NDPS court had cancelled Atala's bail earlier this year after Crime Branch, which was then investigating the case, had submitted that he had fled and was unavailable.

Lucky Farmhouse, former girlfriend of Atala, had exposed the nexus by shooting his confession on the spy cam and releasing it through social networking website.

Seven policemen, all attached to Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC) were arrested after the expose. Atala had also surrendered to the police after absconding for couple of days.

He managed to get bail in April, last year following which he jumped it and went to Israel. In January this year, he was arrested by Interpol at Peru airport.

The investigation into this case was transferred to CBI from Crime Branch following a High Court directive. The Congress led-nationalist Students Union of India (NSUI) had filed a petition seeking to transfer the case to CBI alleging shoddy investigation by the Crime Branch.

PTI