Pubdate: Sun, 10 Apr 2005
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2005
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Jaime Laude
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

HOUSE IN QC YIELDS $2.2-M KETAMINE

Police anti-illegal drugs agents seized last Friday evening an estimated 
$2.2 million (P118.8 million) worth of ketamine during a raid on a 
clandestine laboratory in Quezon City.

Deputy Director General Ricardo de Leon, chief of the Anti-Illegal Drugs 
Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF), said nine caretakers of the 
raided house at 46-H Moncado street, BF Homes in Barangay Holy Spirit had 
been taken in by police for questioning.

De Leon said the house was raided at 8:30 p.m., shortly after the Quezon 
City police conducted a drug buy-bust in front of the said establishment.

"A drug buybust was initially conducted and we found out that the drug 
ketamine was being sold. When our men went back, the suspected dealers 
started running toward the house. Inside, they discovered boxes of 
ketamine," De Leon said.

Recovered from the drug laboratory were 46 boxes of bottled liquid ketamine 
worth around $2.2 million and assorted chemicals and drug paraphernalia, 
the AID-SOTF chief said.

The drugs, according to De Leon, were imported from India by the operator 
of the laboratory. He, however, did not identify the operator of the 
laboratory or his nine caretakers, who were taken in for questioning.

Ketamine hydrochloride, an anesthesia for treating injured race horses, is 
used as a club or party drug in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Called "K" or 
"Special K," the drug is slowly replacing shabu and ecstasy as the choice 
drug among young users in Metro Manila.

When taken in tablet or capsule form, the drug gives the user a floating 
feeling as if separated from one's body. The hallucinating effect on the 
user usually lasts for 30 minutes to one hour. It also enhances one's sex 
drive.

Ketamine does not fall in the category of the Dangerous Drug Board's list 
of controlled drugs.

"Ang problema natin dito ay hindi pa kasi regulated drug ang ketamine. Pero 
ito na ngayon ang ipapalit sa shabu at ecstasy. Ito ngayon ang popular sa 
Hong Kong at Taiwan," De Leon said.

The chief drugbuster said that in the absence of the legal measures 
penalizing human usage of ketamine in the country, his office will lodge a 
complaint against the importer of the seized ketamine in violation of the 
Bureau of Foods and Drugs law.
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