Kolkata man held with 2.7 gm LSD

The Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Gurugram police have arrested a Kolkata-based youth for possessing the 2.7 gm lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) — a drug — and bringing it to Gurugram.

When the accused was asked about the licence or permit for the drug, he revealed that he had ordered it from abroad through cryptocurrency using banned browser. He said it was to be delivered to the youth partying in Gurugram. An FIR was registered under Section 22 (C) of the NDPS Act at the Sushant Lok police station.

According to the police, the accused was identified as Mohammad Shahbaz (27), a native of new town Kolkata in west Bengal. The accused, who presently lives at a PG in Delhi’s Saket area, was arrested from Sector 43 on Wednesday. In the presence of a gazetted officer, the police seized small tattoos used by children from him. Such tattoos are found in children’s toffee and other food items.

When these drug tattoos were weighed, their weight was found to be 2.7 gm. The selling price of this drug in India is around Rs 40,000. The accused is being interrogated about his international connections, and the police team is raiding his locations in Delhi and Gurugram to seize the device he had used to order drugs.

“During interrogation, it was found that Shahbaz had ordered the drug from a portal using the banned browser. The payment is made in cryptocurrency and delivery is done online. It looks like a stamp ticket and commoners cannot recognise it easily. Sometimes, even drug scanners are not able to detect it,” said Sub-Inspector Karamjit, in-charge of Anti-Narcotics Cell.

According to a senior investigating officer, the drug is most commonly used in America, Russia and European countries. People who take drugs keep this paper on their tongue. Its craze is continuously increasing especially among the youth. The police have also received inputs about the use of this drug in rave parties.

“The accused is an intermediate, who used to work as a photographer in Delhi for the past one year. We have taken the accused in four days’ police remand,” said SI Karamjit.

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) drug is a hallucinogenic drug and has no colour, no fragrance and no taste. Intoxication starts within 15 to 20 minutes of taking it and lasts for a long time. This intoxication also reduces the thinking ability of the brain, due to which the person loses control over himself during intoxication.