The Hindu : New Delhi News : Prices set the drugs apart

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Prices set the drugs apart

Devesh K. Pandey

The same quality of cocaine would fetch more on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

NEW DELHI: Although cocaine and heroin are consumed in a similar manner and their overdose brings about similar results, including death, there is a marked difference in their prices.

A high-society drug, cocaine is smuggled in from Latin American countries such as Colombia and a gram sells for about Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 in India.

The usual method for cocaine intake is sniffing, smoking or injecting. And in case of overdose, it causes agitation, increase in body temperature, hallucinations, convulsions or possible death.

The cocaine vial that comes from Colombia has no adulteration and sells for Rs. 5,000 in the Indian market. Interestingly, the price of cocaine varies depending on the day of the week. "The same quality of cocaine would fetch more on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays when most youngsters prefer to party and would sell for as low as Rs.1,500 per gram on lean days," said a narcotic enforcement officer.

In comparison, high-quality white heroin is smuggled into India from Afghanistan via the Indo-Pakistan border and sells for about Rs. 450 a gram. The heroin produced in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan comes for a cheaper price.

Heroin, known as street-drug among users, is either sniffed, smoked or injected and an overdose can cause slow and shallow breathing, circulatory failure, convulsions, coma or death.

Certain heroin manufacturers based at Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh and Bhawani Mandi produce fine quality heroin, which is smuggled out to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other countries.

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