ref1ect1ons Posted October 24, 2010 (edited) http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/interior-ministry-s-oz-police-unit-accused-of-beating-u-s-immigrants-1.320453 Complete with the taste of ignorance and condescendant allure that we have come to expect from the mainstream. Police quiz two following sacred drugs swoop in DartingtonThis is very close to home, Dartington of course being the location of Schumacher College where I am just finishing my masters degree. The story was also covered briefly by the BBC. For information on how to help the legal fund which has been set up to support this case please click here. Police quiz two following sacred drugs swoop in Dartington By Steve Peacock The Herald Express Friday 3rd September 2010 A COUPLE have been arrested on suspicion of importing a powerful drug linked to a secretive religion, following a police raid on a Dartington home. Officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Investigation Team headed up the raid which seized what is believed to be a quantity of ayahuasca a liquid which contains the powerful hallucinogenic dimethyltryptamine, also known as DMT, a designated Class A drug in this country. Police believe the drug was brought into this country from Brazil where it is used as a sacrament in the Santo Daime church a blend of Christianity and South American and African religions. The church was founded in South America in the 1930s, but has spread to the USA and Europe where worshippers are believed to meet secretly, often at each others homes. This is the first time the drug has been seized by the police in the West Country. Det Sgt Stuart Gilroy, who led the Dartington raid, said: As far as we can tell there has only been one other successful prosecution for the drug in this country and that was in another part of UK. He described the drug as a psychotropic hallucinogenic used by members of the religion to get in touch with their inner selves. He said that it is believed the drug is used as a sacrament in the same way wine is used in Christian ceremonies. He added: It is too early to say if further investigations need to be carried out or other people need to be interviewed. Four officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Investigation team and another five from the local Tactical Aid Group were involved in the raid which took place at 8.10pm on Wednesday. Police said a 48-year-old man of UK origin and a 45-year-old female Japanese national were arrested. The man has claimed to be a senior member of the Santo Daime religion. Both were questioned at Torquay Police Station before being released on bail to return for further questioning while officers carry out further enquiries. The drug comes in the form of a brown liquid. Police have refused to say where they are keeping the drug until it can be analysed. However it is being stored in special bio hazard bags. Det Sgt Gilroy explained: At the moment we dont know how potent it is. Ayahuasca is a concoction prepared from a specific South American vine mixed with leaves of various shrubs containing DMT. The hallucinogenic brew was first described academically back in the 1950s by a Harvard scientist. Apparently, while none of the ingredients causes any psychedelic effect on its own the combination causes a powerful effect. According to some reports the religion of Santo Daime which means holy give me has surfaced in London, Devon and Cornwall as well as Northern Ireland, Wales and Yorkshire, and the number of worshippers is said to be in the hundreds. The church was born in the 1930s out of the experiences of a Brazilian rubber-tapper named Raimundo Irineu Serra, or Mestre (Master) Irineu, as followers call him. In 1930 he was given his first taste of ayahuasca by medicine men and supposedly spent eight solitary days and nights in the rainforest, experiencing a series of visions and receiving instructions from the Virgin Mary. Edited October 24, 2010 by ref1ect1ons Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obtuse Posted October 24, 2010 (edited) The hallucinogenic brew was first described academically back in the 1950s by a Harvard scientist. lol. they didnt do much research did they. or did they get worried that that particular harvard scientist had too much academic weight. cheers, Obtuse. Edited October 24, 2010 by obtuse Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drgibbon Posted October 24, 2010 Love the use of single quotations.. it's always 'sacred', 'sacrament', and 'church'. These damn DRUG USERS will say anything to get away with BREAKING THE LAW!! ;) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ref1ect1ons Posted October 24, 2010 Love the use of single quotations.. it's always 'sacred', 'sacrament', and 'church'. These damn DRUG USERS will say anything to get away with BREAKING THE LAW!! ;) I can't decide whether you're serious or not. If you are, I won't touch that with a 40 foot pole. If you're joking, it was funny, if I got sarcasm. I'm kinda worried you're gonna hurt some friendly hippy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kindness Posted October 24, 2010 I wanna know the inner self that Det Sgt Stuart Gilroy is talking about. On ya Stuey Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drgibbon Posted October 24, 2010 Heh, yeah I was kidding. I was surprised to hear they are using it to "get in tough with their inner selves" from the Sarge. I don't know about anyone else, but that sounds like an extremely dangerous substance to me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blangschpeer Posted October 24, 2010 Dear GOD! Not a "SECRETIVE" religion! Obviously this is a cult and must be stopped! Thank god there's someone out there to save us from ourselves, I know I don't have time to think for myself so I appreciate the effort the police have put into busting this deadly deadly couple... Who knows, they could have tried to brainwash one of our English members... Just imagine the carnage, someone spiritually at one is truly a deadly force to be reckoned with... Anywho, sarcasm aside my heart goes out to these poor people. It's sad to see that making the papers over there, I'm guessing it's going to be more of a regular thing now that they are cracking down more on the "legal highs" thanks to the whole Meow Meow craze. Hopefully they get let off, but since there is a successful prosecution precedent it's more likely they will be hauled over the coals. Keep us posted, good luck to the unlucky couple. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites