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CN : HK : Customs seize HK$2.6m in Ketamine
From official HK govt news site. URL not provided for obvious reasons!
Customs seize $2.6m in ketamine
Customs & Excise Department
Customs officers and their Shenzhen counterparts have seized 10kgs of ketamine worth about $2.6 million. The haul, originating in India, was intended to be smuggled to Shenzhen for sale.
Officers searched two hotel rooms in Yau Ma Tei and Tsim Sha Tsui December 17 and seized the drug from a suitcase. The drug was packaged as 10 bags of Indian foodstuff. No arrest has been made so far.
However, Shenzhen officers arrested 12 people, seizing 2.5kgs of drugs, including ketamine, cocaine and cannabis.
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January 18, 2006 at 11:14 pm
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SG : Former criminal lawyer busted for major ketamine dealing ring
PMSL - The drugs were hidden by fat Singapore Chinese men wearing ladies corsets!! People are fatter in Singapore and Malaysia than other countries in SE Asia; they are comparatively rich nations which have outlawed everything else apart from eating (which could be classed as a national sport).
Note second "mini article" of govt spin and justification for use of anti-terrorist law to nick him! the joys of state-controlled media in SE Asia..
Quote:
The Electric New Paper :
LAWYER WHO BECAME DRUG BOSS
HIGH LIFE GIVES HIM AWAY
CNB officers trail him for months before nabbing him
LAWYER.
Road bully.
And now an accused international drug syndicate leader.
By Andre Yeo
26 December 2005
LAWYER.
Road bully.
And now an accused international drug syndicate leader.
As a criminal lawyer, Edmund Wong Sin Yee, 47, was supposed to help his clients stay out of jail.
Today, he's the one who needs help. He's now in Changi Prison after being arrested by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in September.
The shocker: CNB alleges that he is the leader of a drug syndicate dealing in ketamine with street value running into millions of dollars.
Since his arrest, he has been held under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, a last-resort law which CNB has been using over the years to take drug syndicate bosses out of circulation.
Many such criminals would otherwise get away scot-free as no one would dare testify against them in court.
OFFICERS STUNNED
In an exclusive interview with The New Paper on Sunday, seasoned CNB officers revealed how even they were stunned when they first heard that Wong, a former criminal lawyer, was allegedly the brains behind a new drug syndicate.
He is said to have used even his former clients as his runners.
Wong was a familiar face to some officers as he had on many occasions represented drug offenders.
In April, this year, his name first appeared on CNB's radar.
Two CNB officers from its intelligence division, ASP Ali and station inspector (SI) Larry (not their real names, as their work is confidential), received a tip-off that a suspended lawyer, named Wong, was a drug boss.
They checked with the Law Society and found a lawyer matching that description. His record showed a two-year suspension for assaulting another motorist during a traffic incident.
As they monitored his lifestyle, they found it strange that an unemployed person like Wong could own two Mercedes-Benz cars, one of which was a new Kompressor. They also learnt that he had a penchant for China girls.
But it was his alleged drug operations that sparked the CNB's interest.
This is said to be Wong's method of operation:
He recruited plump Singaporean men as drug couriers because it was harder to notice the drugs strapped to their bodies.
Wong allegedly operated his ketamine distribution in another country in the region. His couriers would travel empty-handed from Singapore and meet with other runners abroad.
Huddled in hotel rooms there, the couriers would strap the drugs to their bodies and smuggle the drugs into other Asian countries.
The syndicate was believed to be smuggling as much as 50kg of ketamine each time, using between four and five couriers over several days.
The total street value in Singapore for 50kg of ketamine is about $3 million and Wong's clients were drug syndicates in those countries.
The countries cannot be named as investigations are still going on.
The CNB said Wong was careful not to import the drugs into Singapore.
'They never made it here because of our stringent checks,' said ASP Ali.
The market here is also too small, added SI Larry.
After several months of investigations, the CNB concluded that Wong was a cunning and careful adversary. He knew how CNB officers thought and worked.
ASP Ali said: 'He probably used his knowledge of past contacts with our officers to plan his drug runs.
'He knew that if his couriers were to do drug runs here, they would get into serious trouble.'
None of his couriers had previous drug convictions.
Instead, Wong targeted men with gambling addictions. Most of them had been convicted of gambling offences. They were his former clients, so he knew their weak spots.
Wearing women's girdles, they would each strap 2kg of the white powdery substance to their bodies. The drugs were packed into eight small packets.
Said SI Larry: 'That's why the syndicate used middle-aged men with tummies so it would not look obvious.'
For every kilo they carried, they were paid up to $4,000. So, for each run, they could easily make $8,000.
Air tickets and hotel accommodation were paid for and they often flew on budget airlines.
Couriers paid for their own travel with money from their drug boss.
But there was no paper trail back to Wong. He would fly to the country first and allegedly make certain arrangements for his couriers. But he would still not touch the drugs.
Said ASP Ali: 'Why dirty his hands when he has people to do it for him?'
They were still monitoring him when things changed on 10 Aug.
That was the day Wong had his licence to practise law reinstated.
Soon, he was giving out his name cards. The thought of a practising lawyer running a drug syndicate here drove CNB to change its tactics.
ASP Ali said: 'When we got wind that he was distributing his name cards, we knew we had to act fast.'
The officers said it was during a period when some rogue lawyers got a ticking-off from the Chief Justice for tarnishing the legal profession that the CNB sharpened its probe on Wong.
'We decided to go after Wong more intensively,' SI Larry added. 'We did not want the syndicate to expand because it would make it more difficult to get those involved.'
On 12 Sep, SI Larry and several other CNB officers nabbed Wong outside his Ang Mo Kio flat.
SI Larry said: 'He demanded to know why we were arresting him. He wanted to know why we suspected him. When I told him we were doing a drugs investigation, he said: 'Me take drugs?'
'But he did not resist.'
Urine samples from Wong showed he had Nimetazepam, which is found in Erimin 5, a controlled drug here.
CNB declined to reveal more details about his arrest, citing security factors. Although the alleged mastermind is behind bars, CNB's work goes on.
They are still trying to identify his suppliers. Several of his associates abroad have been arrested.
Said SI Larry: 'If these arrests had not been made, more people would now be hooked on drugs.
'He is not a normal criminal. He is a lawyer who used his knowledge of the legal system for monetary gains.
'Getting him off the streets gives us a lot of satisfaction.'
CRIMINAL LAW ACT NEED TO DEAL WITH SERIOUS OFFENCES
THE Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act was introduced in 1955 to fight serious crime.
Half a century on, it is still relevant here, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, told Parliament last September.
He had said that although the threat from secret societies, drug traffickers and crime syndicates may have lessened, it was still there.
Criminal masterminds were getting more sophisticated, and that was why the Act, which allows for preventive detention without trial, was still needed today.
Under the Act, offenders are either detained without trial or placed under police supervision orders.
Those under supervision orders have to inform the police of their whereabouts, may have to observe a curfew, or report to the police when called, among other restrictions.
Prof Ho had assured the House that the Act was used sparingly, and only in cases where there was fear of reprisal against witnesses.
He added that court prosecution was still the norm, and the number of people detained under the Act had been falling steadily.
In 2003, 211 people were detained, compared to 463 in 1998 and 1,263 in 1988.
The Act, passed in Oct 1955, must be extended by Parliament every five years.
Prof Ho said secret societies and illegal money-lenders were still active in some areas.
The threat of foreign gangs and triads infiltrating Singapore was also ever-present.
The heads of these syndicates now operated sophisticated schemes where they were far removed from actual activity. Instead, they used a system of runners, who, when caught, are too afraid or refuse to testify against their bosses.
The police or CNB must justify the use of the Act in every case to officials from the Ministry and Attorney-General's Chambers.
An advisory committee comprising prominent private citizens also scrutinises the investigations and documentary evidence. This committee then makes a recommendation to the President.
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December 29, 2005 at 7:44 pm
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UK : Surrey newspaper runs article on ketamine use
found this whilst researching articles on Brett Youngs murder case..
some rather dodgy allegations in there, never heard of anyone dying off a gram of K taken recreationally - although would agree that it can cause an amount of paranoia and dysphoria leading to potential mental problems...
there is also evidence of users going overboard and putting extra burden on the NHS by running to their doctors.... the acronym PCT is a Primary Care Team which is usually your local GP surgery
KETAMINE USE IS RISING IN ELMBRIDGE
20/10/2005By ANDREW MILFORD
EVIDENCE from youth workers, young people and health professionals in Elmbridge suggests that the use of the hallucinogenic drug ketamine is becoming increasingly popular.
Although Surrey Drugs Agency SADAS suggested there was not a problem in the county, the head of a project helping drug addicts rebuild their lives rebutted the claim.
Ketamine is a powerful general anaesthetic used in operations on humans and animals. Although not physically addictive, used in combination with other drugs or alcohol, it can suppress breathing and heart function. The growing popularity of the drug is a problem throughout the country.
Mike Blank, executive director of Surrey Alcohol and Drugs Advisory Service, told the News & Mail: “I don’t think that we are seeing much of it at the moment.
“I know that it has come on to the radar screen nationally in the last few weeks but we actually saw it in Surrey in a few people a number of years ago.
“It then dropped out of sight. I am not aware of us having very many people who are using ketamine.”
Martin Blakeborough, director of the Kaleidoscope drug project, which offers respite and rehabilitation to Elmbridge residents experiencing drug problems, rejected the suggestion.
He said: “To be honest, most drug agencies don’t have a clue – I don’t think there is any evidence to suggest that Surrey bucks the trend at all.
“The reality is that if there is a vibrant dance scene, which there is in Guildford and Woking, of course ketamine will be there and will be on the menu, as it will be everywhere else.”
Known as Special K, ketamine is a liquid. The most potent way of using it is through injection. However, it is most often sold as a tablet or a powder that can be snorted. The effects on a user can range from rapture to paranoia to boredom. It can produce hallucinations and render someone comatose. A ketamine ‘high’ usually lasts an hour, but can last for up to six and it takes one to two days before a user will feel normal again.
Large doses can result in vomiting and convulsions and may lead to oxygen starvation to the brain and muscles. One gram can cause death.
Rev Blakeborough said that the lack of knowledge of any extensive ketamine use in Surrey gives rise to a bigger problem.
“Drug agencies are not picking up what is happening,” he said. “This is why they have failed so dismally to pick up on the crack cocaine issues in places such as Surrey because they don’t have specialist workers looking at that issue.
“There is a real problem picking up on any drugs beyond opiates and, to a lesser extent, alcohol.
“There is a serious problem with the dance drug scene and we rely heavily on anecdotal evidence.”
Offering his advice on what could be done to improve the situation, he said: “The drug action team needs to support drug agencies to work with clubs and the Government has to allow us to test drugs for club-goers in a non-penalising way.
“The Government must recognise that there is a dance drug problem — and it has done — to enable drug agencies to bring in harm reduction strategies.”
A spokeswoman for East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT, which covers Cobham, Esher and Molesey, said that an increase in the number of ketamine users receiving treatment and support had been noticed.
“The use of ketamine can lead to panic attacks, depression and weight loss.
“It can also cause high blood pressure, so it is vital that we work with our partners and support agencies to ensure that young people are aware of the adverse effects ketamine can have,” she added.
“Locally, we are working closely with our colleagues at the Surrey Drug and Alcohol Action Team and other partners to raise awareness about the range of support services available in the local area.”
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October 25, 2005 at 10:35 pm
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Nasty effects of chronic Ketamine over-use..
originally from random_raver (relayed from SJ with permission)
I am not a fan as any 1 who knows will tell u....
I first tried 'special K' in the U.S in 1996 prolly b 4 it even hit the U.K rave scene.... in the states in those days they were smokin it in glass pipes like bone.....
i had a brief affair wiv K b4 decidin i didn't like seein death in my K holes that up close n personal - i love life 2 much....
havent done it for 4 years, while EVERY1 else around me at parties is feked on it.....
50% of my raving m8s have had a K problem of some sort @ some point.
It has fuked up many of the rigs i kno & many close friends have lost much of their young lives to being on it & never getting on with it......
my best m8s can b on it & not even know who i am....
that is fukt....
m8s have had to have nasal implants coz of over use & some jak it up....
K is NO BETTER THAN SMAK, I know more ppl addicted to K than smak on the London squat scene, even the addicts that dont come out no more.....
if there is cannabis pyscosis, there is definitely k psycosis.....
more dangerously, I just had a piece of news about a m8......
*************************************************
wot wiv K overuse for years, he has developed an abcess in his nasal cavity, which has infected his optic nerve as it grew & rotted into it.... this in turn has burst the blood vessels in his eye & infected it with the poison.....
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another aquaintence has gone down for apparently buyin & sortin a new user out wiv sum smak, the kid then died & geezer is is bein charged with murder....
FFS!!!!!!!!!
STOP DOIN K / SMAK / CRAK & FUKIN UR SELVES UP.
GET ON WIV UR LIVES!!!!!!
nasty stuff, no doubt the NHS will have plenty to sort out there
what is more shocking IMO is how random_raver's friend didn't notice his own body was fucking up and even think to calm down and seek appropriate treatment b4 he got into that state :(
makes you think though. The danger with K is that as there is no real comedown [bar the body's reaction to nasty particulates being hoofed through the upper respiratory system] and you are not kept awake for days afterwards, its easy for K to become a constant "escape" drug, and there is a danger of psychological addiction.
I also saw a lot of my friends go bad on it in the mid-late 1990s, not just being zombies but making questionable lifestyle choices and ripping off each other to get it - for that reason and would not touch it until fairly recently and even then only in tiny amounts as an adjunct to other stuff...
and why do ppl do it 2 become zombies?
its worth looking at its medical indications (what it is prescribed for) - apart from anaesthesia another indication is "palliative care in terminal illness".
This is med-speak for a drug which makes someone forget or come to terms with the fact they are dying..
I can understand the reason this stuff is popular - from a dealers POV the risk/reward ratio is excellent, users initially experience less health-problems than other street drugs and small doses can be amusing...
but it reduces motivation and social interaction; the very things that keep parties going.
Overused, there is a danger that Ket could become a palliative for a dying scene..
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May 8, 2005 at 10:58 pm
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Ketamine Binges
easy now, ive been takin e since 1997, but stopped in 2002 for a whole year as i was doin myself a bit too much damage. i am well partial to shrooms an acid, but ive always been well skeptical of Ketamine. my initial reaction was "why would anyone want to anaethetise themselves? souinds stupid." also, from running parties, seeing the people on K tweeting and rolling around on the floor (not to mention nearly suffocating themselves etc) didnt look that appealing. gimme some MDMA or shrooms and im on it, they are my ultimate party drugs.
i've done K a few times, tho usually just got given too much, k holed well quick and ended up waking up on a strange floor, feeling a bit stupid. i was pretty convinced it was shit, when my house mate last year got some out on a wet wednesday afternoon and we curled up, watched films and bit liccle, liccle bits of K. was well nice, and quite different to my previous four k experiences. i then realised that k def wasnt a party drug, but did have other uses...
anyway, so friday night some mates come over, we get 5 grams of MaDMAn and 3 of K. not interested in the K, so we bosh some mad, get all revved up and go on a big mission down the beach. we found an instrument each, and formed the "come as you are worthing musical allstars" but we were so charged up wandering, we played very little ( i had a bag of empty beer bottles that i filled in the sea at diff levels then blew in).
anyway,so today turns into tommorrow, its gettin late in the afternoon, were all on the cider in the attic, starting to break the mdma out again. most people have slept except two of us, and out comes the K. we convince ourselves we're just gonna "try" it, just a tiny ammount. but we cane nearly the lot in the end and watched bill bailey (who im not entirely sure isnt a deity now...) till this morn at seven when i thought my heart was shutting down, so i had to make myself walk around the house to get my circlulation back (oh the mish!). the prob with k compared to other ting, is that its a dissaccociative, so if i feel sick on shrooms, i'll know about it, but not on k, so im worried that i may do myself a mischeif while out of it.
the point is, that i am quite comfortable with drug use, but i am usually a one night out, sleep, recuperate, next night out, sleep, recuperate etc type of person, and i was doing mad and k for about thirty hours start to finish. i just wondered if there are any special worries or dangers i should be aware of?
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April 29, 2005 at 6:25 pm
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UK : Hants : Nurse nicked for stealing ketamine from ED
Source: hantspol press office. URL not provided for security reasons!
whilst if he is depleting NHS supplies required for treatment (or is nicking other stuff) this is inexcusable and a breach of trust its a sad situation....
he can't have been that bad a person to stay in the NHS until his middle age and also get promoted - we will probably end up spending even more money from the public purse to destroy this man's career....
A senior Charge Nurse, working within the Emergency Department at North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke, was charged on March 1 with the theft of ketamine. John McDonald Monaghan, 48, of Calcot, Reading, was charged with theft by an employee and appeared before Basingstoke Magistrates Tuesday afternoon, March 1.
He was bailed to reappear on March 29.
Basingstoke Detective Constable Martyn Lillywhite said today:
“The arrest followed a long investigation which continues into related matters within the emergency department. The investigation has the full co-operation of management and staff at the hospital.”
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March 11, 2005 at 8:17 pm
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Ketamine?
Hey I just got my package of Ketamine in the mail, the prices were cheap so I ordered 100 bottles, bottles but they delivered 500 in 2 boxes, obviously it was some mistake, was I lucky or what?
So should say something or just keep my mouth shut?
I plan on using them again for sure thats why i ask...
k********L*B*@ziplip.com anyone else use them im curious...
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November 21, 2003 at 5:05 pm
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