Biggest date-rape drug seizure by Canada
By Gurmukh Singh, IANSThursday, January 27, 2011
TORONTO - Canadian police have made the biggest date rape drug seizure in the country’s history with the arrest of five Chinese smugglers.
Making the announcement in Vancouver Wednesday, police said they have seized over 1,000 kg of the date rape drug ketamine, valued at $15 million, from a container that came from Hong Kong.
Five Chinese men, including three Canadian nationals, linked to the smuggling ring have been arrested.
The drug was vacuum-sealed in bags and then hidden in boxes containing mugs which came in the shipment.
On suspicion, officials of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) x-rayed the boxes and found the date rape drug hidden under the mugs.
Describing it as “the largest seizure ever made in Canada of ketamine”, an official told the media that they examined the whole container after finding discrepancies in the X-ray image and and the content list.
Ketamine, which induces hallucinatory effects lasting from one to two hours after it is administered, is used as a date-rape drug on its own or in mixture with ecstasy.
Police also seized three shotguns and one pistol from one of the five Chinese men. They face charges of smuggling a banned substance into Canada.
The street value of the date-rape drug is over $15,000 per kg.
(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)
