Port Blair, Dec 24: Highly placed today confirmed that seized contraband from the possession of two Italian Tourists, was Charas and not Ganja.

Both Italian Tourists, Mr. Virgili Nicola, 25 years and Miss Nadia Ghouti, 21 years, who were arrested yesterday from Andaman’s Havelock Island were brought to Port Blair today and produced to court from where they have been sent to Judicial Custody.

Although Andaman and Nicobar Police have not confirmed the matter officially yet but sources told Andaman Sheekha that both the tourists from Italy, were selling Charas in Havelock Island and on receipt of specific input a police team, headed by SDPO Havelock, Mr. B Saigal and the SHO of PS Havelock Mr. Vikas Singh, raided their hotel ‘Coco Beach Resort’ at Vijay Nagar No 5 village of Havelock Island and recovered 445 grams of Charas packed in 81 small packets like cake.

The seized consignment has total value of nearly Rs. 40 lakhs in open market.

According to information, Police also recovered one Lakh seventy thousand rupees from their possession in cash.

During investigation the tourists had revealed that they purchased Charas from an open market of Himachal Pradesh and after that they reached these Islands on 4th December 2014 with the consignment and on 5th they landed in Havelock Island.

News Link : http://www.andamansheekha.com/2014/12/26/drug-peddling-case-of-havelock-takes-serious-turn-seized-material-from-italian-tourists-in-andaman-was-charas-worth-40-lakhs-sources/