Citizens and residents are being warned by the Interior Ministry to watch out for an emerging drug delivery method that could be hidden in plain sight – paper.
According to Hidd Police Station’s head Colonel Dr Osama Bahar, ordinary printer paper, soaked in illegal and synthetic narcotics, is being used by dealers and addicts, with sometimes fatal consequences.
“Users sometimes roll tobacco in this paper to smoke it, or they cut the sheet into small pieces and put them in what’s locally called a ‘midwakh’, a type of pipe,” Col Dr Bahar explained in the 56th episode of the Interior Ministry’s Al Aman social media programme.
“It’s just ordinary paper saturated with chemicals and toxins. This paper can be fatal.”
Drug-soaked papers have emerged as a popular technique for drug traffickers and dealers to circumvent authorities, especially in secured environments like prisons and schools.
Synthetic cannabinoids and other drugs are dissolved in a solvent, often water mixed with other chemicals. Paper is then soaked in the solution, and then dried.
The paper appears normal, allowing it to bypass detection by standard rapid drug test systems.
“The danger lies in the fact that this paper could be scattered around the addict’s room, in their parents’ room, and even in the car or a phone case, without parents or family members noticing because they think it’s just ordinary paper,” Col Dr Bahar added.
“These drugs cause the addict to exhibit aggressive behaviours, such as breaking things, assault, and a constant urge to get into physical fights, along with a malicious tendency towards those around them, especially family members such as parents.”
Instead of looking for A4-sized printer sheets, Col Dr Bahar recommended that parents and family who suspect drug abuse should look for small scraps of paper soaked in oil, in cars, notebooks, books and phone cases.
“If you find a soaked A4-sized piece of paper, it means that, unfortunately, someone in your house could be a drug dealer,” he added.
“Protect your family by contacting the police and by creating a safe and stable home environment.”
The ministry’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate has been cracking down on drugs delivered hidden using this method since it became popular in the last several years.
The GDN has previously reported on the case of two drug dealers, who hid narcotics inside A4 printer paper and were sentenced to 15 years in prison each.
The two were identified and arrested after a Customs Affairs officer detected suspicious contents inside a package delivered in the kingdom.
The High Criminal Court convicted the labourers for possessing and selling printer paper saturated in unregulated CBD oil.
Police reportedly found 177 A4 papers in the possession of one of the defendants – of which 28 were found on a suspect’s person, and 149 in his home.
Another case, which was in the court earlier this month, saw the arrest of a 21-year-old Bangladeshi expatriate, who distributed drugs including unregulated CBD oil through saturated sheets of paper.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined BD5,000 for possessing narcotics for trading purposes, and using pregabalin (Lyrica).
The drug dealer will be deported after completing his sentence.
The ministry has urged the public to report any information related to drug smuggling or trafficking via the 24-hour hotline 996 or by email at 996@interior.gov.bh, assuring that all information will be treated with full confidentiality.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))