THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recent seizures of MDMA from the state are now a source of worry for the security agencies as they feel the cases have got international connections. The reason for their apprehension is to prepare MDMA, a party drug commonly known as ecstasy, safrole oil is the main ingredient and it is extracted from Sassafras tree endemic to America and East Asia (China and Taiwan). As the plant is not grown in India, the agencies will now have to trace the origin of the precursor.
About 32 kg MDMA was seized from Kochi in September while 250 gm of the contraband was seized from Thiruvananthapuram in the first week of this month. Though a synthetic drug, it cannot be manufactured without safrole oil, and hence investigating agencies, including the Narcotics Control Bureau, feel there is a strong possibility of foreign connections.
“Safrole oil cannot be made here,” sources privy to the ongoing investigation told Express. “And the possibility of the oil being smuggled in from outside is a distant possibility. It could’ve been manufactured in labs outside the country,” they said.
However, there have been apprehensions regarding the Excise Department claim that 32 kg MDMA was seized. The department had announced in February around 5 kg MDMA was seized from two Palakkad natives at Aluva. The Regional Analytical Laboratory, Kakkanad, recently found out during chemical examination that only 2.5 kg of the seized stuff was MDMA while the remaining material was innocuous white powder.
This could be possible in the current case also. When contacted by Express, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal office said MDMA is a highly difficult drug to be manufactured. “A laboratory can manufacture only up to 2 kg MDMA.” “Unless confirmed by a laboratory test, we cannot say it is MDMA. It can be any psychotropic substance,” NCB sources said.