Court orders release of drug dealer Atala

Panaji: The North Goa district and sessions court directed the immediate release of drug dealer and Israeli national, Yaniv Benaim alias Atala. It directed the superintendent of police and the officer of the foreigners regional registration office, Panaji, Arshi Aadil, to release Atala within 24 hours.Goa police’s anti-narcotics cell (ANC) raided Atala’s flat at Siolim in April and seized narcotics worth Rs 8.7 lakh. Last month, the Bombay high court directed the release of nine foreigners who have pending cases against them, largely NDPS cases, and who were granted bail but were being detained at the detention centre for foreigners at Mapusa as they did not possess visas to reside in India.The HC had held that considering the time consumed in conclusion of trial, they cannot be indefinitely detained in such detention centres and deserve their release subject to conditions that they can be allowed e-visas so that they do not get out of the system and so that their movements can be tapped in case they intend to flee.Atala, who was staying in Goa since 2006, was arrested in 2010 in the police-politician-drug mafia nexus case, and was extradited from Peru in 2011.