In response to such complaints, Vikram Varma, a Goa-based lawyer in the employ of Russia's Mumbai consulate, said that of the tens of thousands of Russian visitors to and residents in the area, fifteen were implicated in illegal property deals in 2007 and two were arrested for drugs possession in 2008. He also said Russian visitors as a whole contribute roughly to the local economy each year and form 40% of hotel occupancies. Nearly 75% of chartered flights to Goa come from Russia. Consul General Alexander Novikov said there is no Russian mafia in the State despite the consulate's lawyer saying the contrary.