Latin America: Victíms of drugging and mugging

Steve Hide is an experienced traveller. He is also a burundanguiado- a victim of drugging in Latin America. His story should serve as a caution to ali ofus.

C/are Thomson repor/s.

In five years' driving buses for tour companies in Latin America I had heard a lot of travellers' tales. Some of the most far-fetch~d were about people who had been befriended on the road, drugged, and then robbed of everything theywere carrying.

There was the backpacker who "Iost" four days afler accepting a biscuit on a Bogotá night bus; he woke in hospital 800 miles away. ''The bus wasn't even going there" is the twist in the tale. There was the traveller in Quito, Ecuador, who went for a quick drink and woke up, two days later, naked and in a strange apartmenl. And then, in an interesting variation, there was the Chilean diplomat who was caught smuggling cocaine on an international flightwhile in a deep trance.

The stories were gripping, but I never saw them as anything other than entertainment. The account was always second- or third-hand, the victim always "a friend of a friend". Then, one night, in a Peruvian bar, the victim was me.

I was halfway through a sip of beer when I blanked oul. It was as though someone had drawn a curtain across my conscious mind. Just as suddenly, I was conscious again, but blind. I could hearvoíces. I had an incredible feeling of calm. Then I blanked out again.

Luckily, friends got me safely back to the hotel. Next day, they gleefully explained the missing minutes from the night before: I had attacked a stranger at the bar, thrown punches, rolled about on the floor; then, in the taxi home, tried to clamber into the front seat and drive. I had needed restraining.

llistened aghasl. I had no sense at ali of having lost any time. My mind,like an old record player, had skipped a groove.

By chance, several days later, I met two travellers who had visited the same Lima bar. The South African told me he had suddenly got dizzy a few sips into his first beer. He staggered outside, followed by some locais. His friends got to him first, hailed a taxi and took him home. The Dutch traveller told me that the barmaid had warned her of a gang that laces the drinks of tourists and then robs them outside.

The penny dropped: I was a burundanguiado. That is an Andean word for a victim of burundanga, a potent plant extract based on shamans' old potions. A tasteless yellow powder, il has a fearsome reputation in COlombia, the centre of druggings in SouthAmerica.

It comes from the datura plants once used by the Chibcha people to sedate the wives and slaves buried alive with deceased chiefs. It is still used in remote areas by curanderos (healers) to induce a "waking trance" state, sometimes preceded by sudden outbursts ofviolence.

Burundanga can be added to food, drinks or cigarettes. In recent decades, its sinister use on the streets has grown from its role as a weapon in Colombia's gang wars. In Bogotá, hospital doctors say it accounts for half of ali poisoning admissions, 500 per month.

In other parts of the Andes, it is known as borrachera "drunken binge". Across the divide in Brazil, drugging crimes are charmingly called Boa noite, Cinderella - Goodnight, Cinderella- afler a popular Seventies television show.

Crimes involving datura are also being reported in Ecuador, where it is used as a "recreational" drug, peddled by local guides to thrill-seeking tourists.

It was in Ecuador that I once witnessed the power of a vine called wantu. On the last night of a four-day jungle trip, our local guides brewed up a bitter potion they said was used by experienced shamans. They Ihen talked half of our group of backpackers inlo drinking it.

Mayhem ensued. The jungle camp lurned inlo a scene from Nighl of lhe Living Dead as lhe dozen or 50 imbibers crashed zombie-like Ihrough lhe undergrowth, while Irying to tear up money or passports - nol very successfully, because they had 1051 mosl oflheirfacullies, including eyesight.

Some lay in their hammocks having hallucinations aboul beaslies. Olhers tottered towards the banks of the Rio Napo, a swiftAmazon tributary that is no place to play blindman's buff. We shepherded them into a wooden hul and guarded them until dawn for their own safely.

The next day, our zombies had returned, partly, lo the land of the living, although Iheir eyesighl was still a bil haywire (some still could nol read Iheir walch faces severa I days later). None could fully recall Iheir antics of lhe nighl before and, irritatingly, they did not believe our version of events.

Wantu, like other dalura-based drugs, conlains a chemical called scopolamine, which has many legitimate medicai uses and is cropped for pharmaceutical companies in South America. Minute doses are used as a seasick cure, slronger ones in anaesthesia.

Scopolamine induces a dry mouth, disorientation, loss of vision, a hypnolic slale and hallucinalions. An overdose can cause heart failure. II also causes memory 1055, which is seen as a benefit to patients undergoing surgery. That is less of a benefit to victims on the street, as Elliott Stares, a 26-year-old Londoner, found when he and his brother were coerced to change hotels before being robbed by a "friendly" couple in Recife, Brazil.

"We mel Ihem for some drinks, but were quickly rendered completely complianl to Iheir will," he recalls. He remembers being in a bar, then has only glimpses of memory as the brothers were walked back to their hotel and told lo collect theirgearin readiness for a move to another hotel.

He now believes Ihey were moved to make il easier to rob them. He has no memory of checking into the new holel, but was laler told by counter slaff Ihat he and his brolher had seemed "drunk and dazed" when they arrived and had needed help from the Brazilian couple.

The brolhers slept for 20 hours before waking in their strange lodgings. Ali Iheir money and credil cards were gone. It took anolher day for Ihem lo gel their senses logether, says Stares, and through comparing notes and talking lo holel staff they managed to piece together the missing hours. "Sometimes things come back lo me, little biles of informalion, bul slill most of the evening is vague."

He remembers at one point lhe Brazilian woman giving him a glass Df powdery waler, while his brother was Iying unconscious n earby. "The amazing Ihing was thal I knew what was happening without even realising any danger. I just wenl along wilh it"

This type of drugging is not exclusive lo Soulh America. Dalura-type planls grow on mosl continenls and have long been associated with druggings both in ritual and crime. Modern science has broughl us more refined Mickey Finns such as Rohypnol, Halcion and GHB, chemical hypnolics used in "date rapes" in North America and occasionally turning up in Britain.

The Foreign Office says thal embassies throughoul the world have noliced a rise in drugging cases, bul nol enough lo call a Irend. "It's hard lo say if lhe problem is growing or just being reported more, although il is wise to be alert lo it," says a spokesman.

Any assessmenl of the risk is made more difficull by the entanglement of genuine cases wilh the ficlional. Drugs such as burundanga are often a feature of thal durable Iravellers' lale, "I woke up minus a kidney". Stories of organ Iheft, which proliferale through the internet, have been Ihoroughly debunked as modern myth (in one study by the UN, no less). They creep 50 often into mainstream media, however, that in New Orleans (often named as a cily where Iravellers gel separaled from Iheir body parts) the police department has Ihreatened legal action againsl those who publish Ihem. "These allegations are completely ficlilious and a violalion of criminal slalules concerning lhe issuance of erroneous and misleading information," says the city's Office of misleading information," says the city's Office of Public Affairs.

In olher respects, lhe inlernet has been a positive force. Real victims of drugging have turned to il as a way to warn other travellers orto secure justice.

A German backpacker, who was drugged and sexually assaulled by a guide on a jungle lour in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia, in 1998, publicised her ordeal on popular traveller interneI sites, describing how in lhe aftermalh she had mel with "nolhing but indifference from lhe local police and 'my' German embassy".

Her report gained credibility when several other victims came forward. Warnings were posted inside guidebook covers and on hostel walls. Bolivian police evenlually arresled the guide ast December, but not before two more alleged attacks. He now faces multi pie charges of rape and assault.

In some parts of lhe world, drugging is linked to sex lourism and lhe viclims are reluclant to lalk. Sometimes, they are silenced for good. In the Thai resort of Pattaya, police were called to investigate a spate of dealhs from heart attack among men-more Ihan could be explained by heatstroke, over-exertion and over-Ihe-counler Viagra. In nine monlhs, 45 mal e tourists had dropped dead. According to Thai newspapers, police arrested a gang of proslilutes who had been smearing a knock-oul paste on Iheir breasls; Ihey had been a bit over-zealous in the application.

For most of us, the risk of being drugged will arise in less compromising circumstances. The Foreign Office warns tourists lo lake particular care with Iheir food and drink in Brazil, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey and the former Soviet countries. On Russian Irains, the word is: "Don't accept any drinks from rail staff."

If you do fali viclim, Ihen lhe official advice is to tell the police and your nearest embassy or consulate as soon as possible. It might not be a good idea lo relurn lo your hotel or hosleL "There is a chance lhe druggers know where you are slaying - they may even have copies of your keys - and you could be in continuing danger," says a Foreign Office spokesman.

The embassy ilself can acl as a lemporary safe haven and help with 1051 lickets, passports and money. The Foreign Office is keen lo hear of even minor incidents. If there is credible evidence of a persislent risk in an area, Ihen it can instigale local inquiries and add warnings lo its travei advisory bullelins.

Travellers sensibly avoiding the sleazy side of lown should take care on buses and Irains, and remember that there is no archelypal drugger. Lasl Oclober, Peruvian police received a dozen reports of druggings by a "sweet middle-aged lady" handing oul sweets lo passengers on lhe nighl bus to Huaraz, a popular resort.

A whole Bolivian family was in on lhe acl on lhe long-distance bus from Argentina to Bolivia. "They were very friendly," recalls Iheir Danish viclim, who passed out after accepling a sip of Fanta from grandmolher. He woke to find the family and his bags gone.

Across the Pacific, a couple's trip lo Manila last year went awry after Ihey met three "nice, well-educaled and rich" Filipinos who invited Ihem to go for a snack. Their after-Iunch nap lasled 33 hours, during which (4,000 was wiped offtheir credit cards.

Such cases make for depressing reading. The offer of food or drink is a lime-honoured expression of friendship in most parts oflhe world (especially on Russian Irains) and fewtravellers would wanl lo miss oul on il completely. Bul, when in doubt, it may be belter lo say no than lake a risk. In areas they regard as dangerous, many experienced travellers make a habit of drinking only from bottles or cans Ihey have opened Ihemselves.

Given that so many druggings happen in bars, it is probably a good idea to ensure that when Vou have a night on the town it is with people Vou know and trusl: go in a group and try to return together. If Vou do split up, make sure friends know where Vou are.

Fraser Devan, from London, says he owes his life to fellow backpackers who found him unconscious on his hotelroom floor 24 hours after his drink was spiked in a nightclub in Bangkok. They got him to hospital, where he spent six days in intensive care.

His narrow escape has not dampened his enthusiasm for travei or for Thailand. He is planning to return to Bangkok on his honeymoon in June - "and I'II be checking out that nightclub to see if anything comes back to me".

How vou can avoid becoming a victim

Colombia is one country where the Foreign Office has noted a trend for robberies facilitated by drugging. The British Embassy in Bogotá says that "these attacks frequently occur on public transport and travellers should never accept food, drink or cigarettes from strangers, no matter how friendly or well dressed the individual appears". Food sold by street vendors or in cheap cafes might also have been impregnated with a drug.

Ben Box, the editor of the South American Handbook (Footprint), says that the Andean countries - Colombia, Ecuador and Peru - are particularly known for cases of burundanga poisoning, but that travellers should also be wary in Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuela, where drugs are constantly being smuggled across borders.

He offers the following advice: never accept a bar drink from an opened bottle unless Vou can see that the bottle is in general use; always insist that the bottle is uncapped in front of Vou. When buying bottled water, make sure that the seal is unbroken.When travelling in a drug-producing area, especially in Bolivia, Peru and Colombia, check with the embassy or tourist office before going offthe beaten track.

Richard Danbury and Melissa Graham, co-authors of the Rough Guide to Chile, are less convinced that drugging poses a serious risk in South America. For safety's sake, however, they say that vou should avoid taking a lot of money or jewellery into bars and carry a photocopy of your passport rather than the real thing.

"Keep yourself as safe as possible by travelling in groups and avoid overnight trains, especially in anything other than a lockable compartment in first class. When travelling on public transport, lock your luggage to something solid." Finally, they say, be wary of people who are over-friendly and refuse to take no for an answer.

Accordlng to the poisons unlt at Guy s & St Thomas Hospital In London, symptoms of datura poisoning (other than those described by Steve Hide) include difficulty in swallowing and speaking, f1ushed skin, dilated pupils with blurred vision, vomiting, difficulty in passing urine, rapid pulse, high temperature, drowsiness, slurred speech, confusion, delirium, agltatlon and combatlve behavlour. The effects can last up to 48 hours, although the pupils may remain dilated for more than a week. Followlng recovery, the vlctlm may have amnesia.

The Foreign Office website has updated advice on , dangers in particular areas and individual embassies often have more detailed information.

The South American Explorers Club was set up to give advice to people visiting Latin America. Its website has noticeboards where travellers can recount their experiences.

Fonte: (https://www.telegraph.co,uk/travel/722302/Latin-America-Victims-ofdrugglng-and-mugging.html)

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