It’s not an urban legend: there really is a drug that is sometimes slipped into a woman’s drink in order to sexually abuse her. In fact, there have also been instances of elderly people intoxicated with it in full daylight and robbed of their savings.
Spain’s emergency rooms are increasingly familiar with this type of case, and with the name that is associated with it: burundanga.
Burundanga is the popular name for scopolamine, a drug that is used in medicine to treat nausea and motion sickness, among other conditions. But its side effects include drowsiness, a loss of inhibition and memory lapses.
It is cheap and easy to purchase online, and can be slipped into someone’s food or drink while the victim is not looking. It can even be blown into their faces. The targets will not remember a thing afterwards. It is known as “chemical submission.”
It is a well-known practice in Colombia and other Latin American countries, where burundanga is used in robberies and express kidnappings.
A 31 October 2011 State Department travel advisory about crime in Thailand echoes that advice about scopolamine, saying:But in Spain, its existence is still poorly acknowledged by authorities, mostly because the drug is quickly eliminated by the victim’s body, leaving little or no trace behind.
There have been occasional reports of prostitutes or bar workers drugging people with the powerful sedative scopolamine in order to rob them. Tourists have also been victimized by drugged food and drink, usually offered by a friendly stranger who is sometimes posing as a fellow traveler on an overnight bus or train. In addition, casual acquaintances you meet in a bar or on the street may pose a threat. You should not leave drinks or food unattended and should avoid going alone to unfamiliar venues.
Another Incident Reported:
“Few days back our law firm photographer was getting gas at the Quik Trip at I-435 and Wornall Road. As she was preparing to get back into her car, a young man handed her a sheet of paper, which she took just to be polite, threw it on the seat of her car and proceeded to pull out. She almost immediately felt sick, so she turned off of Wornall Road onto 103rd St. and pulled to the side of the road believing she was going to pass out. She realized that the same guy was right behind her in his truck. She got scared and sped down 103rd to a McDonald’s and ran in screaming for someone to call 911, with the guy running in behind her. Once he realized that police were on the way, the guy left the McDonald’s. The police and paramedics believe there was a super fast-acting halucinogen on the surface of the paper and that once it came in contact with her skin, it immediately caused her to feel like she was going to pass out. She is physically ok, but very shaken by the whole ordeal. She asked me to pass along her story so that no one else is harmed by a situation like this.
Please be careful and don’t be afraid to seem rude to a stranger. This happened in our back yard”
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In late November 2017, a years-old screenshot of a Facebook post about criminals and incapacitating drugs began recirculating on social media:
