Risk for Brits in Majorca as woman is poisoned with ‘devil’s breath zombie drug’ paralysing and wiping victims’ memory
EUROPE'S first ever case of a person being drugged with 'devil's breath' -- a powerful powder that wipes out memory and free will -- has been recorded in Spain.
The 36-year-old victim from Mallorca was poisoned by her boyfriend, who bought the powder called 'burundanga' over the Internet.
She was rushed to hospital last month suffering from drowsiness, clouded vision and incoherent speech, and told doctors when she recovered that she had no memory of what had happened.
The drug, made from the seeds of the Brugmansia tree, is mainly produced in Colombia, where it is used to make victims carry out sexual assaults and robberies.
Colombia is known for its rife drugs trade and is the setting of hit Netflix show Narcos, which documents the life of drug baron Pablo Escobar.
'Devil's breath' comes as a fine white powder which is blown into the victim's face or used to spike food and drinks, and renders people helpless within minutes.
It then disappears from the bloodstream within around four hours, meaning it often becomes untraceable before a victim has had time to be tested.
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It is the first time its use has ever been officially recorded in Europe, Spain's Medicina Clinica medical journal said.
A spokesman for the Spanish health service said: "The fact that we have identified a person who has been drugged with it, suggests its use may be becoming more common in Spain and perhaps throughout Europe."
What is Devil's Breath?
Devil's Breath is derived from the flower of the "Brugmansia" plant which is common in Colombia.
Brugmansia has been used for hundreds of years by native South Americans in spiritual rituals.
Its seeds can be powdered and treated with chemicals, extracting a substance called "burundanga".
This compound is said to lead to frightening hallucinations and a lack of free will.
Amnesia can occur, leaving the victim powerless to recall events or identify perpetrators.
It dissipates into the bloodstream if breathed in, meaning victims are quickly transformed.
Likewise, the body quickly processes the drug - often too fast to be detected by blood tests.
According to a 1995 Wall Street Journal article, about half of all emergency room admissions in Bogota, Colombia were for burundanga poisoning.
Burundanga is similar to Scopolamine, which can be found in some prescription medication for treating intense motion sickness.
The seeds from the Brugmansia tree can also induce powerful hallucinations and were traditionally used by witch doctors in south America.
The Soviets and the CIA reportedly used it as a truth serum during the Cold War, while Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele had it imported from Colombia to use in interrogations.
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