Mumbai: Black cocaine, an almost undetectable drug

Mumbai: Drug peddlers are constantly evolving smuggling ways to give a slip to the drug law enforcement agencies. The latest challenge for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is the detection of black cocaine – a high-priced drug which easily passes through scanners and even outsmarts sniffer dogs.

The worrying trend came to fore in September when a Bolivian woman was nabbed at the Mumbai airport with the alleged possession of 3 kg black cocaine worth Rs6 crore, said the NCB official, adding that the contraband was destined for Goa.

The seizure was the first instance of impounding the drug in Mumbai hence raising the possibility that the narcotic may have been successfully smuggled earlier as its almost 'undetectable'. NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Amit Ghawate said that black cocaine is made by mixing things like coal, cobalt, activated carbon and iron salt in regular cocaine. A special chemical is further added to mask it's smell.

Recently, two sniffer dogs have joined the team. These canines have been specially-trained to smell a drug like black cocaine, said Mr Ghawate.

Another NCB official said that peddlers also adulterate such drugs coming from abroad. If up to 3 kg of drug has arrived then after adulteration it can be easily sold in a quantity of 4.5 kg at a higher price. A gram of black cocaine is worth Rs 30,000-35,000. Its demand has already shot up as the new year is around the corner. The drug is much sought-after in Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

As the seized drug was destined for Goa, an NCB team went there and found that the narcotic is mostly smuggled by women under the code name 'sanitary napkin'. Made from several hazardous substances, black cocaine has serious side effects. According to NCB data, 1.07 million people consume cocaine in India. Of them 90,000 are in Maharashtra, 27,000 in Punjab, 10,000 in Rajasthan and 8,000 in Karnataka.

Black cocaine is almost 'undetectable' as it's made by mixing several substances like coal, cobalt, activated carbon and iron salt in regular cocaine. A special chemical is further added to mask its smell. A gram of black cocaine is worth Rs 30,000-35,000. Its demand has already shot up as the new year is around the corner. The drug is much sought-after in Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.