Ecstasy Hits Cayman
In recent weeks, there havebeen three arrests in the Cayman Islands possession and suspecteduse of the drug that is the 'rave' of Europe - Ecstasy
by Debbie Prendergast
Earlier last year, a Caymanian nationalwas found in possession of 23 Ecstacy tablets in the parking lotof a bar on the West Bay road, and in an unrelated case - a UScitizen was found in possession of 48 tablets upon entry to theCayman Islands. They were convicted on the offences and are eachserving 18 months. In the first case the Caymanian national wasoriginally sentenced in the Summary Court with 12 months suspendedof the 18 months and his sentenced was appealed by the Crown prosecutors,who felt the sentence was too light, and the Grand Court reinstateda sentence of 18 months in prison.
On Tuesday, 24 July - an American and a Lebanese national werearrested in connection with possession and suspicion of distributionof the Ecstasy drug - this time with a larger quantity of over70 tablets, which reportedly sells for $30 each. The bust wasattributed to the diligent observations of Royal Cayman Islands,Police Drug Task Force (DTF) officers, who observed suspiciousactivity in the vicinity of a nightclub on West Bay road.
It is understood that one of the men arrested resides with hisgirlfriend also a foreign national employed on a work permit atone of the bars in the area of his arrest. There was subsequentlya raid of their residence, and it is alleged that there were moretablets, along with a quantity of marijuana, drug paraphernalia,a distribution list of clients and other evidence depicting dance'Rave" parties - as a method of distribution for the Ecstacyand other illegal drug.
From reports received by Cayman Net News, it is understood thatthe individuals suspected as being involved in the importation,distribution and use of this prohibited drug are primarily foreignnationals.
There is increasing evidence that the importation of Ecstasy ison the rise. On Sunday, 29 July, an American male was found inpossession of 10 tablets when searched by Customs officers atthe airport. Details of this particular bust is as follows:
The suspect had arrived from New York on Saturday and reportedhis luggage as being lost. He returned to the airport to collectit on Sunday and, when searched by Customs officers, the tabletswere discovered hidden inside a bottle of Tylenol. This arrestled Customs officers to another American national, a female, employedat a local hotel who was subsequently arrested for the offenceof being concerned.
The problems that the Police and Customs officers are facing withthis relatively new scourge of drug entering the community, isthat persons involved in the importation are becoming more innovativein their methods of disguise. Ecstasy and other forms of designerdrug comes in tablet forms and can go largely undetected by disguisingthem amongst prescription and ordinary over the counter medications.
"Ecstasy is manufactured illegally by 'backstreet' chemists,"says the RCIP's Media Liaison Officer, in response to a seriesof questions posed to Det. Chief Sup. Derrick Haines, head ofthe DTF. "The majority is exported from Europe. The relativelysmall quantities seized in the Cayman Islands arrived by air."He continued, "The dangers of this drug include lack of hygienein the manufacturing process and no real knowledge of the contents."
Police and customs officers are coming down hard on importersand distributors of these drugs and anyone found in possessionof these pharmaceutically manufactured drugs.
The scientific name for Ecstasy is (methylenedioxymethamphetamine)or MDMA and is regarded as a controlled drug under Cayman's laws,and it is an offence if found in possession of anyone under theMisuse of Drugs law. Persons found in possession with this drugcan be charged with an offence and they do stand to be imprisoned.
The zero tolerance hardline is that: Police and Customs officershave a difficult enough task trying to control the spread of themore familiar drugs - such as ganja and cocaine - which are alreadywidespread in the community, and they are not taking it lightlythat there is any new affliction of drugs on the local market.
The importation points of this drug appears to be from the U.S.,U.K. and Europe as it is regarded as a very popular 'party' drugon the nightclub scene in these cultures. It was reported in recentdays that the biggest bust in U.S. history for Ecstasy was discoveredon an airline, in a shipment of pencils in Los Angeles California,coming in from the Netherlands, Holland. The drug had an estimatedstreet value of US$40 million.
There has been endless research done on the effects of this particulardrug in the U.S. and U.K. and it is also known as "a fundrug, ... a happy pill", and it is primarily associated withyoung people and the 'rave/dance' scene in the U.K. where thereis on-going controversy.
Advocates for the recreational use of the drug defend their positionfor it's use, and the U.K. Government continue to maintain it'sposition that it is a dangerous drug to be in the hands of youngpeople who often make a fatal mistake of combining Ecstasy withother drugs. There have been reported deaths and extensive scientificevidence to support the authorities' position. Medical researchhas cost the U.K. Government near a million pounds and yet theuse of the drug has grown in popularity since the late 1980'sparticularly among young people who often substitute it for alcohol.
In an article published by Dr. Karl Jansen called: 'Ecstasy andMental Health: Nerves or Neurosis?', he states, "The useof ecstasy has been linked with a wide range of psychiatric sequelssuch as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, depersonalization,derealisation, cognitive deficits, flashbacks, hallucinationsand other perceptual disorders, as well as paranoid delusionsand other forms of psychotic phenomena."
A November 1997 article in 'The Independent' newspaper in theUK stated: "Though the effects of the changes could takeyears or even decades to show up, it is potentially serious newsfor the UK's estimated 500,000 regular Ecstasy users who eachtake one or two tablets every weekend. If the brain cannot compensatefor the changes caused by the drug, the long term effects couldinclude widespread depression and even suicide."
The story was taken up by an Australian publication, the AdelaideAdvertiser which continued: "New research has produced hardevidence of horrifying side effects of the rave drug taken byan estimated 600,000 Britons every week. It indicates that regularusers could suffer mild mood swings, bouts of potentially suicidaldepression and memory loss even years after giving up the drug."
There are several dangers associated with the use of this drugand many documented cases of young people who have had ugly andadverse reactions to Ecstasy. They can range from panic and fearof dying to cases of actual death. In some instances deaths associatedwith Ecstasy are noted as being a form of "drug induced heatstroke" as stated in an article by Chris Jones, a teacherof Critical Care Courses for Nurses, Edge Hill University College,Liverpool. He states: "Ecstasy alters the body's thermometerand inclines its user to warm up the core body temperature particularlywhere the external ambient temperature is high. It is also saidto lower temperature if the external temperature is low. A warmtemperature seems to enhance the Ecstasy experience."
The UK, US and European youth subculture have apparently adoptedthis drug in conjunction with many others as a part of their desireto feel "happy" lifestyle and as with any function ofan imported culture they have brought their desires along withthem and on the list of social problems which are plaguing thiscommunity at present we do not have the room or resources to addthis to our present list of problems which are already here inthe Cayman Islands.
Locally, the clientele for the drug are apparently persons whoare attending 'Rave parties' where it is reported that the drugis being distributed mainly among work permit holders and contractedofficers from the US, U.K. and Canada. Some are reported to bestaff members of a Cayman subsidiary of a major UK Company, personnelfrom Government departments, enforcement officers and importedemployees in the tourist industry.
Numerous bars and nightclubs on the West Bay road, North and SouthChurch Street have also been identified as another distributionpoint for the drug. One customer - a foreign national - claimsto have seen the drug openly displayed on the counter top of atleast one of these establishments.
At a press conference earlier this year when there was a spateof escapes from the Central Police Station in downtown, a suggestionwas put to the Commissioner of Police - that it may have beenbest to post a watch team around the perimeter of the station,as a matter of necessity in view of how the Cayman Islands arechanging in terms of the boldness of criminals.
The Commissioner responded, that "in hindsight ... it mighthave been the right thing to do." The media person puttingthe suggestion, went on to comment: "Perhaps, that is theproblem we are faced with in the Cayman Islands today. We taketoo much for granted ... and do not put sufficient emphasis onforesight - in order to deal with the many things which will impactour society in a negative way."
Today's Cayman will continue to be expose to the modernity ofjust about everything which meets the criteria of a young, modernpopulation - which loves to keep up-to-date with the latest fashionsand fads. Sadly, this can and does extend to the scourge of drugs.
It is hoped that full attention will be paid to the increase ofEcstasy drug use and distribution, and there will be a wide effortby every member of this community - to stop this latest incursionof the elicit drug - Ecstasy, to be stopped in its tracks.