Detection of Cocaine - a danger signal

B. Anton Jeyanathan

Within a short space of 7 days, in the early part of the month of March 2009, officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) and the Excise Department (ED) have stumbled upon quantities of Cocaine being in possession of a traveller from India, and in possession of a local dealer in drugs, respectively.

On March 11, 2009 an Indian national, a passenger coming from Chennai through the BIA was detected by the officers of the PNB unit functioning at the BIA, in possession of 448 grams of Cocaine. The quantity of Cocaine detected by the officers of the PNB which amounted to 448 grams indicates that drug smugglers have added Cocaine to their usual commodity of Heroin which was the demanded Narcotic drug, which was smuggled from India and Pakistan.

On March 18, 2009 the officers of the Bureau of Special Operations of the Excise Department detected two suspects in possession of pure Cocaine in a building at Maharagama. This building is said to have been used as a political office of a politician who is contesting the forthcoming Western Province Provincial Council elections.

The detection by the officers of the (ED) indicates that there is retail business in Cocaine and that there is a demand for Cocaine in addition to the demand for Heroin. Detection at the BIA of fairly large quantity of Cocaine points to the efforts by the Drug dealers to supply the demanded Cocaine to the users.

“Demand” and “Supply” principle successfully applied in the marketing field is being tried out by the drug dealers to supply the Cocaine demanded by the users.

Preferred drug

From all available information and statistics gathered from all Drug law enforcement agencies Cocaine has been not a “Preferred Drug” amongst Sri Lankan drug users and abusers, instead they prefer Heroin.

The main reason being Heroin, derived from Morphine, Opium being the base, extracted from the latex like substance of Poppy Pods is readily available in Golden Crescent comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, where large scale illegal cultivation is undertaken by Drug Lords.

Illicit laboratories set up and managed by Drug traffickers to manufacture Heroin from Morphine. Over produced Heroin is trafficked to many countries where there is demand for the Brown variety Heroin which is inhaled.

Drug users in our country demand for the Brown variety, which is regularly smuggled in from India and Pakistan through Air passenger couriers and through smuggling cartels using fishing boats.

Cocaine

What is Cocaine? Cocaine is an Alkaloid from the leaves of Coca shrub and is the oldest known anaesthetic. Cocaine in pure form is colourless, flaky and crystalline powder, very much like snow. As a free base or its salts, e.g. hydrochloride, it may be sniffed like snuff but its salts are usually injected or may be mixed with another drug or a diluent.

Cocaine and its mixtures are usually sold in the capsule by the peddler and the abuser is never sure just how much of each drug is present. This often adds grater danger to the abuser and may result in an over dose.

Cocaine will light a fire in the brain which is very difficult to put out. It ruins the mind. Cocaine can cause blood pressure to shoot up so high that blood vessels in the brain burst - resulting in stroke, brain seizure, loss of consciousness - or even death. Cocaine also affects the heart. Whilst Heroin is characterized as “Depressants” or “Downers”, Cocaine is identified as “Stimulants” or “Uppers.”

Coca shrubs are illegally cultivated in the South American countries such as Columbia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Bogotá, and Mexico.

Illegal laboratories established and managed by the Cocaine Cartels in these countries manufacture large quantities of cocaine and supply to South America, and other neighbouring countries where there is a demand for Cocaine.

Cocaine is readily and easily obtainable at a price in all these countries. Cocaine was the preferred drug of abusers in this part of the world. Cocaine abusers were generally poly drug abusers.

Injection was the preferred method used by cocaine abusers. Reasons for use and abuse of cocaine included the desire for euphoria, a “Kick” and improved self image. Overproduced cocaine is transhipped through land routes inducting affluent countries like America, Canada and some South African countries, through Mexico and the Panama Canal route.

Crack is the most dangerous processed form of Cocaine. Crack is which is usually smoked sends a big dose of the chemical to the brain in about eight seconds. One puff can be deadly. Crack also damages the heart and lungs. Crack smokers often have a constant cough or shortness of breath. The users spit out black or bloody sputum.

Cocaine is undoubtedly more addictive than Heroin. There is no such thing as safe, experimental dose of cocaine, any dose - even a first time dose can kill the user.

Crank

Crank is a highly addictive mixture of Crack and Heroin. The mixture is considered potently dangerous because it combines the physical addiction of the Heroin with the intense high of Crack. The new mixture of Crack and Heroin is smoked through a pipe. The smokable Heroin lengthens the Crack high and reduces the intensity of the depression that follows it. It is also called “speed ball”.

Scourge

Our country is already reeling under ever increasing users and abusers of Cannabis and Heroin. The estimated number of dependents on Heroin and Cannabis is unknown to any of the Law Enforcement Agencies. Though a rough estimate of 50,000 have been reported, in my opinion, this estimated number may not be considered as a true figure.

The alarming information about the detection of a large quantity of Cocaine within the first half of the month of March is a clear indication that there is an increase in clients who are demanding Cocaine for their use. As referred above, Cocaine is an “Upper”. If mixed with Heroin it is going to spell a very dangerous future for the drug addicts who are already dependent on Cannabis and Heroin.

The vulnerable groups of younger generation who are eternally experimenting ways and means of achieving euphoria, identity crisis and “kick”, who are also known to be using synthetic drugs which are available in night clubs, dancing parlours, are bound to demand for Cocaine, which is now available in Sri Lanka.

From records available, there have been very few detections in the year 2008 and before, of persons in possession of very minute quantities of Cocaine, some of them, foreign tourists who were in possession of Cocaine for their personal use. The PNB which is the foremost drug law enforcement agency in Sri Lanka has conducted many raids and seized large quantities of Heroin and Cannabis compared to Cocaine.

The intelligence available with the PNB is that Cocaine is not easily and readily available in Sri Lanka due to the distance of trafficking of Cocaine from the areas of production and the high cost of even the smallest quantity of Cocaine.

Abusers and users of Heroin in Sri Lanka have always preferred the inhalation method and dislike the injection method. It is for this reason that the brown variety which is used only for inhalation is smuggled into this country in large quantities.

Since Cocaine is mostly used for purpose of injection, drug traffickers in Sri Lanka have not made attempts to smuggle in Cocaine in large quantities in the past.

Danger - Wake up

The impending danger to the future leaders of our country, the youths, must be taken seriously by the Law enforcement agencies especially the PNB, which is the specialized branch of the Police Department, entrusted with the enforcement of the Drug Laws. Even when Heroin was detected at the initial stages many years ago, it was not taken seriously by either the Government or the Police Department, as an impending danger.

Today after many years we are faced with ever increasing Dependents on Heroin, which is draining our economy and ruining the health and well-being of the youths. Let us not be complacent. Take serious view of the availability of Cocaine. There is bound to be a steady increase of double tragedy of the Dependents of both heroin and cocaine. Wake up before it is too late.

(The writer is a Deputy Inspector General of Police)