Dagbladet Reports on the Rising Concerns About Pink Cocaine

The Rising Concern Over Pink Cocaine

Spanish police have previously raised alarms about the narcotic mixture known as pink cocaine — despite its name, it does not contain cocaine. Pink cocaine refers to a pink-colored powder, often bearing a strawberry scent, that testing has shown typically contains one or more of the following substances: ketamine, MDMA, amphetamine, 2C-B, aspirin, and caffeine.

Increase in Seizures

Kripos' drug statistics for the first half of 2024 indicate that ketamine seizures are occurring more frequently and in larger amounts. The European Union Drug Agency (EUDA) also reports an increase in the number of seizures and relatively large quantities of ketamine powder in Europe, suggesting the substance has become stabilizingly available and may have established itself in certain communities. In various countries, ketamine has been found in mixtures, often with stimulant substances like amphetamine and MDMA, sold as 'pink cocaine.'

• Kripos confirms seizures of pink cocaine in Norway this year.
• Kari Solvik, head of the drug analysis section at Kripos, stresses that they are constantly analyzing seized drugs and monitoring different types of seizures.
• Concerns about new substances that create challenges in other countries remain high.

NORWAY'S DATA ON PINK COCAINE

Dagbladet has inquired with the Norwegian Customs Administration about seizures of this mixture. Due to the lack of a specific category for pink cocaine in analytical systems, there may be some uncertainty regarding the numbers.

Julie Vissgren, senior advisor at the Customs Administration, noted, We have registered one seizure in 2022, four in 2023, and two so far in 2024, with rapid tests showing the presence of at least one of the substances typically found in analyses of pink cocaine.

• Most seizures have occurred in postal and courier streams and from air passengers.
• While these are few seizures of relatively small amounts, we are following the developments closely, especially considering the potential risks of consuming such drug mixtures.

The Origins and Dangers

Pink cocaine has its roots in South America. In February, Spanish authorities raised alarms after a 14-year-old boy lost his life. Police in Mallorca referred to the substance as one bomb, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. It is so potent that it causes severe hypertension and can lead to heart failure. This is a bomb, as it contains ecstasy and amphetamines in powder form. People have no idea what they are consuming.

Reports indicate that the mixture has also appeared in the nightlife scene in Stockholm, Sweden.