International   

Haul of new drug in Spain

Madrid: Spanish police have arrested a gang that allegedly trafficked a little known psychotropic drug, passed off as ecstasy but more dangerous, at discos around Madrid. Officers arrested 13 persons, mostly Spaniards in their 20s, and confiscated 31,000 pills with the same colour, shape and shark logo as ecstasy, the Interior Ministry said. The alleged ringleader used a network of young women to distribute the pills at clubs to avoid raising suspicion. The new drug, known as M-CPP or meta-chlorophenylpiperazine, stimulates the nervous system and produces the same hallucinatory effects as ecstasy, but can be more toxic, the Interior Ministry said. Potential side-effects include psychosis, outbreaks of violence and poisoning. A police statement described it as ``a new psychotropic substance, unknown to date and a producer of serious effects.''

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Australia, China sign uranium deal
Shells and leaflets are ammunition in Gaza battle
Majority of Britons for Iraq pullout
Thaksin for national reconciliation
Baloch leader held
Haul of new drug in Spain
Storms batter U.S.
Awards for the blogger-writers

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu