North Goa: The anti-narcotics unit of the North Goa Police uncovered a ‘magic mushroom’ cultivation setup operating out of a rented room in Arambol, a coastal village in North Goa District. Following the raid, they apprehended a 33-year-old Russian national, Evgeny Morkovin, and seized 218gm of psilocybin mushrooms, 7.9kg of mushroom buds, 2kg of marijuana, and 150 psilocybin mushroom spores, collectively valued at Rs.1.70 crore in the global market. Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in over 200 species of fungi, was among the substances confiscated. This operation came shortly after the recent arrest of an Israeli national named Naar Yaakov for allegedly trafficking in ‘magic mushrooms’.
Superintendent of Police (ANC) Mr. Bossuet Silva reported that during the raid, the ANC team seized a substantial quantity of psilocybin mushrooms worth Rs.8.72 lakh and 2kg of ganja valued at Rs.2 lakh from the accused’s rented premises in Arambol. Additionally, they discovered that the Russian national had cultivated psilocybin mushroom buds in various glass jars, weighing approximately 7.93kg and valued at Rs.1.58 crore. The police also confiscated mushroom spores used by the accused for further cultivation, along with equipment such as syringes, glass jars, and specialized plastic containers utilized in the cultivation process. Mr. Silva highlighted a growing interest among young individuals in psilocybin, the psychoactive component banned under the NDPS Act, due to the effects of ‘magic mushrooms’ colloquially known as ‘shrooms’, which induce altered thinking and hallucinations.
