Two homes were reportedly being used as clandestine laboratories to prepare the synthetic party drug known as “tusi”
The Civil Guard has dismantled an alleged criminal organisation in Torrevieja suspected of producing and selling “tusi”, a brightly coloured synthetic drug commonly known as pink cocaine.
Eleven people were arrested during the operation: eight men and three women aged between 21 and 36.
Officers searched four homes in Torrevieja and discovered that two of the properties were allegedly being used as clandestine laboratories where the drug was prepared, mixed and packaged for distribution.
The investigation, named Operation Suebicum, did not initially begin as a drugs inquiry. It was launched in March after officers from the Civil Guard station in Torrevieja began investigating a series of burglaries and robberies in the municipality.
Those inquiries eventually led to the arrest and imprisonment of a suspected offender. However, evidence gathered during the investigation directed officers to a property where the suspect had reportedly been living with several other people.
Further analysis revealed what investigators believed was a wider criminal network operating from several homes in Torrevieja.
According to the Civil Guard, the properties were being used both to prepare the drug and as distribution points. The organisation allegedly supplied tusi mainly to customers in Torrevieja’s nightlife and entertainment areas.
Four properties searched
The searches were carried out with support from Citizen Security units attached to the Alicante and Torrevieja Civil Guard commands.
During the raids, officers arrested the suspected members of the organisation and seized 12 grams of tusi, 30 grams of amphetamine and €820 in cash.
Investigators also recovered a large quantity of equipment and materials allegedly used to mix, prepare, divide and package the drugs for individual sale.
The eleven detainees were brought before the Court of First Instance and Preliminary Investigation in Torrevieja.
Ten were subsequently released under precautionary measures while the investigation continues. The remaining suspect was already being held in prison in connection with the violent robbery that originally led officers to uncover the alleged drugs operation.
What is “tusi” or pink cocaine?
Despite its common name, pink cocaine often contains little or no cocaine. The word “tusi” is derived from “2C”, a reference to a family of synthetic psychoactive substances, although drugs sold under the name can contain widely differing combinations of chemicals.
The powder is usually coloured pink and may contain substances such as ketamine, MDMA, amphetamines, caffeine or other stimulants and hallucinogens. Its precise composition can vary considerably from one batch to another.
This unpredictability makes the drug particularly dangerous. Users may not know which chemicals they are taking, how strong the mixture is or how the different substances could interact.
Possible effects can include agitation, confusion, hallucinations, an increased heart rate, high blood pressure, loss of coordination and unconsciousness. Mixing it with alcohol or other drugs can further increase the risk of serious poisoning and medical emergencies.
Tusi has become increasingly associated with nightlife and party environments because of its distinctive colour and reputation as an exclusive or fashionable drug. However, health professionals warn that its appearance and marketing can disguise the potentially hazardous and unknown mixture of substances contained in each dose.
