Lethal narcotics: STF points finger at African smugglers

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, JuNE 27

Officials of the Special Task Force (STF) have revealed that synthetic drug “cut”, which is being mixed with smack and heroin and is proving fatal for addicts, is being supplied in the region by African drug lords based in Delhi.

They claim that drugs are never sold in purest form as the chain of peddlers from top to down mix some ingredients at each level to increase the quantity and their profit. “This mixture is referred to as ‘cut’,” a cop said.

He says sometimes commonly used powders such as baking soda, crushed pain killers, talcum powder, detergent, caffeine or powdered milk are added.

The STF officials say peddlers are, however, using some cheap lethal drug manufactured by African drug lords to increase the potency of already adulterated smack and heroin being sold in Punjab.

The STF has sent the drug samples to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and is awaiting report to know the exact nature of the synthetic drug.

Bal Krishan Singla DSP, STF, said: “Earlier, the peddlers used painkillers or other tablets to increase the quantity of heroin. Now, African smugglers are using some fatal substance, which is worrisome.”

Dr Rajiv Gupta, a psychiatrist from Ludhiana, says: “The mixing of even talcum powder or any other substance can be risky when the mixture is injected into veins. It could make a clot in the veins and results in death.” He says such adulterations do not result in death, if the drug is sniffed and not injected.

Police officials say heroin in pure form is costly and is generally not available. “Addicts are always in need of money. So they start selling drugs after taking out a certain part for personal consumption and mixing some other substance in the remaining part. In a recent incident at Aemma Khurd village, three addicts bought a dose of narcotic powder for Rs 350 only. One of them died on the spot after injecting it.”