The recent arrest of 45 year-old Dominica Ratwal, owner of a famed party spot in Anjuna, for allegedly possessing commercial quantity of liquid LSD (3.74 grams), is a pointer to the sophisticated nature that the drug trade is quickly acquiring in the State.
LSD blotting papers easy to transport, can be concealed easily
ASHWINI KAMAT
PANAJI
Dominca is the first person this year to be booked by the Anti-Narcotics Cell under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 for being in possession of liquid LSD.
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), which is known as ‘acid’ in the drug market, is an extremely potent hallucinogen sold in various forms, but blotter squares (pieces of blotting paper with a microdot of LSD liquid. Addicts lick the paper to get a high) which are produced easily using liquid LSD are becoming popular, because they are difficult to detect.
Blotter papers laced with LSD are easier to transport and can be concealed easily, said a source. “To prevent detection, dealers resort to soaking blotting paper in liquid LSD and camouflage it with various images such as cartoon characters (lending LSD squares the name ‘Looney Toons’),” the source revealed.
Depending on potency, the cost of liquid LSD varies between Rs one to five lakhs for a gram, which could be used to prepare between 90 to 100 papers.
Hence, the arrest of a 45-year-old local woman for allegedly possessing liquid LSD points to changes in Goa’s drug market.
A source disclosed that previously, LSD papers and other finished products laced with LSD were available in the market but the source was usually from outside the state.
“However, with the availability of LSD pieces and liquid in the market, number of local dealers who produce LSD papers or even sell the liquid in its pure form has increased,” he informed.
Since 2013, LSD liquid, papers and pieces were seized in 50 out of the 188 narcotic raids conducted by Goa Police in the State.
Of these 50 raids, 43 were conducted by ANC. The rest seven were conducted by police stations of Calangute, Anjuna, Saligao, Pernem and one by the Crime Branch.
In 13 of its raids since 2013, ANC has seized 51.31 gms of liquid LSD. One raid conducted by Calangute Police in March 2015 is pending trial.
Explaining the legal implications of possessing LSD, the source stated, “As little as 0.01 gms which is an equivalent of five LSD papers or four to five drops of liquid LSD amount to commercial quantity of the drug under NDPS Act.”
Over 2013 and 2014, quantity of liquid LSD seized from each accused has steadily gone up from an average stash of 1.8 gm in 2013 to 4.6 gm in 2015.
On January 16 in 2015, the ANC seized 10.30 gm of liquid
Liquid lsd and eyedrops!
Individuals in illegal possession of liquid LSD have evolved a unique manner of hiding the drug by storing it in eye-drop containers. Confirming this development, several members of narcotics raiding teams informed The Goan that many dealers and peddlers allow entry to cops in the hope that the liquid LSD will go undetected when camouflaged as eye drops. To counter this tactic, cops have now begun to order such persons to squeeze the said eye drops in their mouth. Fearing overdose, the accused refrain from doing so resulting in arrest.
