Dangerous "obedient water"
China News Weekly reporter/Zhou Qunfeng
Issued in the 1010th issue of China News Weekly on 2021.8.30
Recently, the Mianyang police in Sichuan cracked a drug smuggling case and all 9 suspects were arrested. This case is also the first "smuggling and trafficking in psychoanaesthetic drugs" case in Sichuan Province.
After the criminal suspect purchased controlled anesthetic and psychotropic drugs from abroad, they processed them into "obedient water" and "amnesia water" and sold them to domestic buyers.
The victim will be unconscious, unconscious after taking it, and then be assaulted by the suspect.
"Observable water" and "amnestic water" are the main representatives of the third-generation drugs that have emerged in recent years. The main ingredients are sevoflurane, triazolam and other new psychoanaesthetics.
Criminals often use the "network + logistics delivery" model to buy and sell, instead of offline transactions, which increases the difficulty of combating.
At present, the speed at which these new fine anesthetic drugs are included in the jurisdiction of the law often fails to keep up with the speed of their emergence, and it also brings challenges to supervision and investigation.
A smuggling and drug trafficking case led by a package
In early June 2021, the Narcotics and Anti-narcotics Detachment of the Public Security Bureau of Mianyang City, Sichuan Province obtained intelligence that someone illegally used psychonarcotics in the urban area of Mianyang.
Because such drugs are under domestic control, the police suspected that criminals smuggled them into it, so they started to solve the case by expressing them overseas.
Soon, a package mailed to Mianyang Yi XX from abroad attracted the attention of the police. Then the Narcotics and Anti-drug Detachment of the Public Security Bureau of Mianyang City, in conjunction with the Anti-Smuggling Branch of the Customs of Mianyang City, conducted in-depth research and careful excavation based on the information of the express delivery. An underground market where fine hemp drugs are illegally sold through the Internet.
In order to avoid harassment, the police did not detain Yi's package.
On June 23, when Yi Moumou went to the express station to pick up the package, he was arrested by the police in one fell swoop.
Tian Jianxin, a policeman from the Narcotics and Anti-narcotics Brigade of the Anzhou Branch of the Mianyang Public Security Bureau, told China News Weekly that Yi Moumou is in his 20s this year and is a foreigner who lives in Mianyang on weekdays.
Yi Moumou confessed that he found two social groups on the Internet. Someone asked how to buy drugs such as "obedient water", "amnestic water" and "good obedient water". He found it profitable, so he waited through the circumvention software. Looking for sources of goods abroad, I contacted online sellers in Germany and Japan.
They smuggled triazolam, midazolam, sevoflurane and other psychoanaesthetics back to the country and packaged them into "amnesia water" and other drugs.
In order to facilitate sales, he built a large number of QQ, WeChat groups, etc., constantly attracting buyers to the group, and also taught the use of methods to the next home.
In the criminal gang, Yi XX played the role of "middleman".
Yi XX confessed that he has sold this type of drugs to many provinces.
In mid-July, Mianyang police followed the vine and led the Anzhou, Zitong, and Fucheng anti-drug departments to arrest 8 suspects in 8 provinces and regions including Sichuan, Beijing, Ningxia, Heilongjiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi. So far the 9 accomplices in the case have been arrested.
This case has also become the first case of smuggling and trafficking of psychoanaesthetics in Sichuan Province. A total of 209 ml of sevoflurane, 140 tablets of triazolam, and 111 ml of midazolam were seized.
The police in charge of the case also found that some criminal suspects had related gangster videos on their mobile phones and computers.
These criminal suspects confessed that they mainly targeted young women, using opportunities such as dating netizens and working overtime with female colleagues to commit crimes by drugging drinks, taking video photos, and even uploading them to unknown websites for profit.
Some even use it on their wives or homosexual objects.
The "obedient water" and "amnestic water" sold by this gang are the main representatives of the third generation of drugs.
According to the "Health Times", according to the age of the drug epidemic, drugs can be divided into three generations.
The first-generation drugs were mainly traditional drugs extracted directly from the original drug plants, represented by marijuana, opium, cocaine, heroin, etc.
The second-generation drugs are chemically synthesized psychotropic drugs, represented by methamphetamine and ketamine.
The third-generation drug is a variant of the second-generation drug (psychoactive substance), that is, the new psychoactive substance (NPS).
In terms of the mechanism of drug action, the third-generation drugs are as addictive as the previous two-generation drugs. They act on the central nervous system of the human body to cause excitement and hallucinations. Taking large doses is no different from drugs.
However, because the third-generation drugs are drug analogues obtained by modifying the chemical structure of previous drugs, and do not need to use tools to "sniff" and "inject", this makes them confusing and difficult to prevent.
Tian Jianxin introduced that many psychoanaesthetics controlled by my country can achieve the effects of "amnesia water" and "obedient water".
For example, triazolam and sevoflurane belong to a class of psychotropic drugs, and its function is equivalent to an anesthetic; midazolam is used to treat insomnia, or used to induce sleep during surgery or diagnostic examinations, and is a second class of psychoactive drugs. drug.
"In China, these drugs must be prescribed by doctors for exclusive use, and cannot be circulated privately on the market."
This kind of drugs has double harm to the victim. On the one hand, excessive smoking and drinking may cause dependence, leading to confusion, coma, apnea, and even death from suffocation; on the other hand, these drugs generally cause derivative crimes, such as three The mixed use of zolam and midazolam can cause the subject to be unconscious for 6 to 8 hours without consciousness and memory. If the user is sexually assaulted, it may cause secondary physical and psychological trauma.
The "third-generation drugs" have already shown a proliferation trend, which has aroused strong social concern in the near future.
Guo Yi, president and editor-in-chief of "People's Anti-Drugs" magazine, told China News Weekly that medicines for extracting third-generation drugs have a long history, but the concept of "third-generation drugs" has only emerged in recent years.
In 2013, in the "World Drug Report" of the United Nations Drug Administration, for the first time, "a single substance or a mixture of substances that is not controlled by the United Nations international conventions but may be abused and may harm public health" was defined as "new psychoactive substances" substance".
Subsequently, the United Nations Anti-Drug Administration believes that such substances will become the third-generation drugs that are popular worldwide.
On October 1, 2015, the National Narcotics Control Office included 116 cases of new psychoactive substance products, which means that my country officially defines these new psychoactive substances as drugs.
The trading market behind "Internet + Mail"
According to the "Report on China's Drug Situation in 2020" issued by the National Narcotics Control Office, in 2020, a total of 64,000 drug-related crimes were cracked across the country and 92,000 suspects were arrested.
The abused varieties such as heroin and methamphetamine continue to maintain a large scale. The number of cannabis users has increased year by year. New psychoactive substances have been abused from time to time, patterns are constantly being refurbished, packaging forms are constantly changing, and some even disguised as food and beverages, and "poison stamps" appear. "Poisonous candy" and "poisonous milk tea" are very camouflaged, concealed and seductive.
An anti-drug expert from the People’s Public Security University of China pointed out that an obvious feature of current drug abuse is that criminals disguise drugs that have been strictly regulated by the state or new psychoactive substances that have not yet been regulated as common snacks and small items. Or use novel and fashionable names, such as "Happy Water", "Happy Water", "Milk Tea", "Chocolate" and other small foods, so they are very confusing, concealed and seductive.
The name of this kind of drug-containing substance was created by criminals, and the ingredients contained were also added by themselves. There is no fixed type of ingredient, and constantly changing tricks and innovations, staged a "cat and mouse" game.
Because of their novel and fashionable characteristics, many young people have become the target group of these drugs.
In his article "The Past, Present, and Future of "The Third Generation of Drugs"" written by Dr. Wang Chunguang of Psychology, the third generation of drugs has the characteristics of convenient production, low prices, and hidden sales channels.
Compared with first- and second-generation drugs, third-generation drugs are relatively inexpensive.
For example, the popular "twigs" (strips resembling branches, containing the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-CHMICA regulated by the state), which are popular on the Internet, cost less than 10 yuan, and the selling price ranges from tens to hundreds of yuan. If everyone can afford it, its audience will be wider.
Wang Chunguang said that criminals mixed the third-generation drugs into food, beverages, daily necessities, etc., and delivered them through logistics, express delivery, and other forms of online transactions. Such sales methods and channels are often relatively hidden and law enforcement. Obtaining evidence is difficult, which to a certain extent encourages the arrogance of drug traffickers.
Tian Jianxin revealed that in the case cracked by the Mianyang police, the 9 suspects were all met online, and they only made express transactions through online channels and almost never made offline transactions.
He Guoming, a lawyer at Guangdong Guangqiang Law Firm, focuses on drug crimes. He told China News Weekly that buyers mostly buy through online channels, contact sellers through illegal websites, post bars, social groups and other channels, and then drug traffickers smuggle Incoming drugs, etc., are traded with them through mail channels. This "Internet + mail" approach is also a major feature of third-generation drug cases.
The "2020 China Drug Situation Report" also shows that "Internet + logistics delivery" drug trafficking activities have increased.
Drug trafficking cases through logistics delivery channels continued to rise. A total of 3,011 drug trafficking cases through logistics delivery channels were cracked nationwide, and 4.3 tons of drugs were seized, an increase of 9.5% and 1.1% respectively. The characteristics of "bulk logistics and small deliveries" are obvious.
There are various methods of online drug trafficking, using digital currency to pay for drugs, using methods such as mail, intra-city express delivery, or niche logistics courier companies to deliver drugs, changing the delivery address in the middle, and seeing people at both ends of the transaction, which increases the difficulty of discovery, investigation, and evidence collection.
The "young protagonist" in the third generation of drugs
Tian Jianxin told China News Weekly that in the above-mentioned cases uncovered by the Mianyang police, the nine suspects were all under the age of 30, and most of them were around the age of 25, all of whom were men.
"They have a bachelor's degree or above, have legitimate jobs such as store owners and corporate executives, and they also have certain financial strength."
In addition to the rejuvenation of drug trafficking, third-generation drug users are also mainly young people who are easily exposed to third-generation drugs on various occasions.
Wang Jiawen was born in Hunan in 1990.
While studying in Singapore, once, when he was in a bad mood, his classmates brought him two cans of "laughing gas" for him to take in, but he refused.
Later, at a music festival, I couldn't stand the temptation of my classmates and then smoked.
The first time he inhaled laughing gas, he only had 2 seconds of pleasure.
After that, he continued to smoke in dormitories, rental houses, KTV and other places, and eventually his school was abandoned due to drug use.
In October 2020, Wang Jiawen was arrested in Beijing.
Ren Jianyue, his policeman in charge of the Beijing Tiantanghe Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center, told China News Weekly that Wang Jiawen has a history of drug abuse for 10 years, including traditional drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as third-generation drugs such as laughing gas.
"Wang Jiawen's long-term use of laughing gas has caused damage to his nervous system. He can't concentrate, develops serious sleep disorders, etc., and becomes irritable."
Compared with Wang Jiawen, there are still younger users in the Shandong Province Women’s Compulsory Isolation and Drug Rehabilitation Center and Shandong Province’s Luzhong Compulsory Isolation and Drug Rehabilitation Center.
Li Xinyue, born in 1994, is a native of Zoucheng, Jining City, Shandong Province. He started taking methamphetamine in February 2018 when he was only 24 years old.
The first time she inhaled laughing gas was in a quiet bar. When she saw many people inhaling laughing gas, she instigated five or six balloons at the price of about 10 yuan each.
She said that at the time, the bar selling laughing gas was like selling alcohol, and it was open.
Inhaling laughing gas feels like being drunk and dizzy.
In November 2020, Li Xinyue was sent to a compulsory isolation and rehabilitation center for women in Shandong Province.
"I feel that smoking nitrous oxide is not an entry-level drug, but it may lead people to try new types of drugs."
Zhao Xiaoting, a police officer at the Shandong Women’s Compulsory Isolation and Rehabilitation Center, told China News Weekly that she was deeply impressed that once, when her community gave an anti-drug and rehabilitation lecture, a group of students talked about the types and harms of third-generation drugs. Said "So laughing gas is also a drug".
This shows that third-generation drugs are well-known among young people, but they don’t know enough about this type of drugs, and they don’t even know that they are drugs.
It is necessary to target young people and increase legal publicity and education to keep them away from drugs.
He Guoming introduced that from the relevant cases he represented, most of the addicts were between 24 and 30 years old.
"Most of them are already working and have a certain material foundation and purchasing power, but they are not deeply involved in the world. They have just left school and family discipline. They have poor ability to resist temptation. They like to seek stimulus, coupled with factors such as high work pressure. Use these substances to reduce blood pressure."
The price of seeking stimulus and using drugs to lower blood pressure is unbearable.
Born in 1976, Chen Hua is a native of Sichuan. He has a junior high school education. He has worked in food stalls and opened a farm.
In August last year, he was sent to a compulsory isolation and rehabilitation center in Luzhong, Shandong Province.
His first contact with "Happy Water" was in a bar, and he spent 200 yuan at the time.
"Happy Water" is a new type of liquid drug, which is a mixture of new drugs such as methamphetamine, ecstasy, and ketamine.
"Happy Water" is mixed with beverages to drink, it has a stimulating and hallucinogenic effect.
He experienced pleasure and thought that "Happy Water" was a social tool, so he gradually became addicted to it.
After smoking for a long time, Chen Hua found that his memory gradually diminished, his personality became irritable, and his body deteriorated. He was groggy all day long and had no intention of working.
Cui Hongwei, a police officer in charge of Chen Hua and a police officer at the Shandong Luzhong Compulsory Drug Rehabilitation Center, told China News Weekly that Chen Hua took drugs and stopped his business. He also gambled and divorced. A family is happy."
Cui Hongwei told China News Weekly that the third-generation drug addicts are not much different from the first two generations of drug addicts during detoxification. After the physiological detoxification period, they will get rid of their body's craving for drugs, and they will participate in education and treatment in the later period. And rehabilitation activities, physical and mental rehabilitation.
"After they return to society, we will also pay regular visits to learn about their family, work, and integrity maintenance, but mainly rely on their self-discipline. They should stay away from the circle of'drug friends' and improve their ability to resist the temptation of drugs. "
The double dilemma of difficult detection and lagging law
On May 11, Deng Ming, deputy director of the National Narcotics Control Office and deputy director of the Ministry of Public Security’s Narcotics Control Bureau, stated that it is foreseeable that as my country's crackdown and control efforts increase and controlled drugs become more difficult to obtain, the cost will be lower and the law will be easier to evade. The regulated new psychoactive substances may be abused as substitutes for common drugs.
However, relevant departments also face the dual dilemma of difficulty in detection and lagging of the law when cracking down on such illegal acts.
Shandong Drug Rehabilitation Surveillance and Treatment Center is the only specialized management center for male AIDS drug abusers in the province.
According to Zhang Ziqing, the police officer of the institute, most of the more than 300 drug addicts admitted to the institute were gay HIV addicts. Some of them were discriminated against by their relatives and friends after they got AIDS.
Some people take the third-generation drug Rush, No. 0 capsules, etc.
Rush, the full name in English, Rush Popper, is mainly composed of nitrite. It is mainly used in medicine as an emergency medicine for acute heart disease. Long-term use can cause glaucoma and blindness.
No. 0 capsule has a strong hallucinogenic effect, and its main ingredient is dimethyl tryptamine 5-MeO-Dipt, which is a national first-class psychotropic drug.
Excessive smoking can cause auditory hallucinations, slow movement, and even acute heart failure, leading to death.
Zhang Ziqing pointed out that compared with traditional drugs, third-generation drugs usually have a shorter effect in the human body, which makes detection difficult.
For example, ice can last up to one or two days in the human body after being ingested, and it is easy to be found and detected, while the No. 0 capsule only lasts about 4 hours.
Wang Chunguang also said that the third-generation drugs have many varieties and are updated quickly. Using traditional testing methods, such as urine testing and saliva testing, the results may be negative and no drug ingredients can be detected. This creates subsequent penalties for drug abuse. difficulty.
If the third-generation drug abusers are not punished, the abusers and those around them will mistakenly believe that the new psychoactive substances are not drugs, which will induce more people to try.
He believes that the chemical characteristics of third-generation drugs should be combined to accelerate the development of new detection methods to provide scientific means for combating drug abuse.
In judicial practice, such cases also show a certain degree of lag at the legal level.
He Guoming pointed out that because the third-generation drugs have the dual attributes of drugs and drugs, the definition is also more complicated and needs to be determined based on comprehensive factors such as the purpose of inhalation, the way of purchase, the direction of flow, and use.
He said that the sentence for this type of case is lighter than the previous two generations of drugs. Judging from the current jurisprudence, the court generally does not apply the death penalty when sentencing.
He once represented such a case: a university student studying in the United States brought Ritalin (commonly known as a "smart drug", whose main ingredient is methylphenidate, which is a central nervous system stimulant) back to China and was intercepted by the customs. , Was arrested by the police on suspicion of drug smuggling.
However, due to the small amount, he did not know that Ritalin was listed as the "first class psychotropic drug" in our country, and was eventually disapproved by the prosecutor's office.
In recent years, as the country has stepped up its efforts to crack down on third-generation drugs and the sentencing has become stricter, it will become more difficult to fight for non-prosecution and a verdict of not guilty.
In He Guoming's view, the identification of drug types in various countries is not uniform. For example, marijuana is a drug in my country, but it is legalized in Canada and some states in the United States.
Betel nut is a snack food in my country, not a prohibited item by law, but it is considered a drug in Turkey.
Therefore, everyone should also understand this knowledge when going abroad, otherwise it is easy to "inadvertently carry drugs in and out of the country."
In addition, if a person wants to buy a certain medicine, if it is not available in domestic pharmacies or hospitals, but it is possible abroad, then one has to be vigilant to see if it is a banned medicine in the country.
Because of the continuous emergence of new drugs in the third generation, although the drugs are listed in cases involving such drugs, the subsequent convictions and sentencing often fail to keep up in time.
He Guoming suggested that my country should continue to improve in accordance with judicial practice, promptly issue relevant judicial interpretations, publish guiding cases, unify the follow-up handling of such cases, and provide guidance to judicial organs at all levels across the country.
"Insist on legislation first and perfect the law, so that the case-handling organs can better investigate and handle such cases."
(In order to protect personal privacy, all drug users in this article are pseudonyms)
China News Weekly, Issue 32, 2021
Statement: The publication of the "China News Weekly" manuscript is authorized in writing