Ecuador: scopolamine threat to community security

The cases of fatalities from the use of that substance for criminal acts have shocked the country. One was that of Vincent Sarmiento Ledesma, who died in October 2010 after leaving a bar in Guayaquil. He was assaulted and the excess of scopolamine in his body died of cardiac arrest. So his father, Vincent Sarmiento, issued a letter to President Rafael Correa in order that those cases do not go unpunished, to investigate and justice. On November 9, 2010 also called for the strengthening of security for citizens by “deaths that occur under this system.”

The forms of drugging a person with scopolamine have increased in the last year, police said. An officer reports that, beyond an alcoholic beverage or using a handkerchief with the substance, the suspects now also use sprays that spray perfume or alcohol to people in the back. Another form is produced with an injection. Strangers introduced the drug to the victims but they may perceive it as they move on the bus. According to statistics of the unit, scopolamine-treated 486 cases were registered during 2011. So far this year, the figure is 312. The officer noted that the Police has done research on this crime and indicates the bands that use this method to steal, rob or rape victims. During the police investigation, to prevent the drug enters the skin, the agents are placed enamel or gum in your hands. Read Article