News
Care for a drink? And then you are drugged and robbed
Beware of strangers, especially those who offer you drinks and other sweet treats as they could be spiked with a sedative that knocks you out cold before you are robbed of your belongings.
Last Sunday an ayurvedic physician in Kandy had been asked by two people to accompany them to treat a patient. He was treated with cakes on arrival at the patient’s house.
According to police the physician remembers only eating the cake and when he regained consciousness he was at the Peradeniya Teaching hospital. He found that his gold chain, ring valued at more than Rs 220,000, mobile phone and Rs 15,000 cash missing.
Two days earlier in Kandy a grocery shop owner had a visit from a regular customer. He had offered a packet of milk to the shop owner who only remembers drinking the milk. When he regained consciousness he realised he had been relieved of his gold chain and cash amounting to Rs 270,000.
These are just two incidents that have been reported to police. Most of the other incidents had occurred in public places and long distance buses and trains.
A senior officer involved in criminal investigations said in most cases drinks were mixed with drugs while sometimes the sedatives were mixed in sweets such as sesame balls.
He said the usual modus operandi of the suspects was to pick up their prey at the long distance bus stands in the Pettah and Colombo Fort. The suspect would befriend the would-be victim and manage to find a seat next to him or her. Along the way the suspect would get down to buy a fizzy drink, and get one for his ‘new found friend’ and add some drug into it before offering it. After about 15 minutes the victim doses off and that’s when the suspect strikes, robbing earrings, gold chains, bangles, cash, mobiles phones and even laptops. The suspect would then get off the bus.
The officer said that the victims were mainly women and in some instances the suspects would befriend them, stand them dinner at a restaurant before sedating them and physically abusing them.
Another senior police officer said the sleeping pills that are mixed into fizzy drinks in plastic bottles could even have a dangerous effect on the victims. He said in some instances the complaint is lodged long after the incident as the victim takes time to remember the events as he sometimes suffers from temporary memory loss and in some incidents people do not even inform the police out of embarrassment.
Police also warned youth that at some parties alcohol and beer are laced with drugs and the victims are led astray to commit various crimes.
They advised the public to call 119 if they had any suspicion of someone hanging around in public places such as bus stands and to stay away from drinks and sweets offered by strangers.
Dr. Amal Harsha, the Health Ministry’s Additional Secretary and Drug Regulatory Authority Director told the Sunday Times medicines that result in amnesia were powerful substances, adding that opiates, narcotics, painkillers, sedatives, that are given for neurotic conditions were sometimes used to sedate people, that could cause harm.
“These criminals do not know the proper doses or the effects of these drugs. The victims of such cases feels very drowsy and they suffer from temporary loss of memory, amnesia and other complications that could even lead to death.
He said all opiates, sedatives and neurotic medicines are controlled by the Cosmetic and Drug Regulatory Authority Act, adding some medicines were sold only if a doctor’s prescription was submitted, but some well known painkillers were sold without prescriptions.