Regular readers will know that next week I start my second Bollywood movie as a ’40+ British drug-dealer’, but in view of recent events in Goa, I shall ensure that art doesn’t imitate life.
Last week Israeli Goa drug lord David aka ‘Dudu’ Driham was finally arrested after years of apparent impunity and immunity thanks to his alleged links to top brass in the Goan police.
While I can’t get the thought out of my head that if Dudu proposed to his wife in English and she accepted, then she would have to say ‘I do, Dudu’, the Anti-Narcotics cell must know that such a risky arrest is going to have serious ramifications.
Apparently Dudu has been speaking openly of how his connections have always protected him and it is the local Police who are more afraid of further developments than the accused Israeli.
But Dudu should be careful. We have the recent experience of Mossad’s dirty tricks in Dubai and he should be looking over his tattooed shoulder very carefully. Nobody likes a smart-arse, especially if they have assassination squads.
What is more surprising is how social networks have played a part in this scenario. Not only was Dudu apparently using Facebook games such as the ubiquitous Farmville to pass on messages to his runners, it is the emergence of another Israeli on YouTube that is bringing fresh embarrassment to the local rozzers.
In the eight-minute video posted by Oren Ben Yaish, a certain Atala talks about Police officials supplying him with seized drugs for resale. Furthermore Atala was booted out of India in 2006 but has since made his way back without documents and is currently on bail for overstaying.
His case is pending in the local Mapusa court, again showing the extraordinary speed of judicial cases in India and it looks as if Atala will not be spending a relaxing time on the beach this weekend.
Consequently, not only should visitors to Goa realise they cannot behave like they do in the Balearics, this development also shows how times have changed. Once upon a time you couldn’t move for Israelis in Goa, but now the it is the Russians who are the Big Daddies. Moscow 4 Tel Aviv 0.
As for an English actor like me, I keep my nose clean and seeing how technology has a habit of fingering miscreants nowadays, I will not be taking any footage of my movie drug-dealing on my mobile phone just in case it’s misinterpreted. You can never be too careful.
Monty Munford has more than 15 years' experience in mobile, digital media, web and journalism. He is the founder of Mob76, a company that helps tech companies raise money and exit. He speaks regularly at global media events with a focus on Africa, writes a weekly column for The Telegraph, is a regular contributor to The Economist, Wired, Mashable and speaks regularly on the BBC World Service.
