Burundanga, The Drug Capable Of Nullifying Your Will
The burundanga also called scopolamine , has turned out to be the perfect psychotropic substance for aggressors, as it causes an automatism in the victim’s brain, causing a state of submission to any order. Thus, some criminals and sex offenders supply the drug the person they want to rob, rape or even murder. Once consumed, the victim is completely unprotected.
There are few scientific publications dedicated especially to burundanga poisoning. This article aims to show a compilation of interesting data about this substance, while also trying to raise people’s awareness about taking preventive measures in certain situations.
Scopolamine, also known as burundanga, is a tropane alkaloid extremely toxic found as a secondary metabolite in certain plants. For centuries it has been widely used for ritual purposes, in shamanism and in witchcraft (Ardila-Ardila, Moreno and Ardila-Gomez, 2006).
It is currently famous for being used among other things to commit crimes such as robberies, kidnappings and sexual crimes This is because burundanga seems to have a hypnotic-sedative effect that meets the characteristics of intensity and duration that fits well with the purposes of the criminals who plan these actions.
Medicinal use of Burundanga
Scopolamine is not only related to criminal purposes, it also has a medicinal use in which it must be used in tiny doses (less than 330 micrograms) because an overdose can cause delirium, aggression, disorientation, convulsions, coma, and even death (Álvarez, 2008).
It is usually used, in the field of medicine, to prevent and treat dizziness, to dilate the pupil in fundus examinations and it is even also used as an antispasmodic, local analgesic and antiparkinsonian.
Criminal use of this drug
As it mentioned above, It is a drug used for criminal purposes , since the victim intoxicated with burundanga follows any order without resisting, that is, if ordered, he is capable of offering his money and belongings without attempting to escape. It is frequently used for robberies, since sexual abuse, according to data collected by Ardila-Ardila, Moreno and Ardila-Gomez (2006), corresponds to less than 5% of cases.
What makes it difficult for the victim to detect this drug is that it does not taste or smell like anything in particular and can be supplied through different means, such as food, drink (if it is alcoholic beverages, the depressant effect increases) or even by inhalation (for example, a contaminated cigarette or handkerchief). Scopolamine turns out to be one of the most dangerous drugs, not only because of the above, but because if the aggressor exceeds the dose by a few micrograms, will cause the death of the victim
On the other hand, there is a myth that burundanga nullifies the person’s will, making him agree to carry out all kinds of actions. However, this is not true, given that this substance fundamentally affects the state of consciousness, so it cannot be said that they make those who consume it more “obedient”; If anything, it nullifies their ability to resist.
Symptoms of scopolamine poisoning
According to Salcedo and Martínez (2009), scopolamine is rapidly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and it is very easy to cross the blood-brain barrier, therefore it has an almost immediate effect, in a matter of a few minutes the victim will probably be under the effects showing vulnerable behavior, while his will will be subject to that of the aggressor, That is, the victim’s will will be completely nullified. During the first three hours we can observe its greatest effect.
This effect is due to the fact that scopolamine acts as an anticholinergic, causing a depressant effect on the central and peripheral nervous system, therefore, its symptoms are various, among them we can highlight pupil dilation (blurry vision), stupor (state of partial consciousness in the person), tachycardia, urinary retention, reduced salivary and stomach secretion (dry mouth, thirst, difficulty swallowing and speaking), fever, drowsiness and severe amnesia.
During the amnesic episode, the victim maintains a personal identity and can adequately carry out his or her normal activities of daily living; it is as if the victim were left “hypnotized” at the hands of her attacker since it is capable of guiding the aggressor to his bank and providing him with the secret code, for example.
It is a substance that causes a complete elimination of the free will As long as you continue to act, the brain remains automated, doing what it is ordered and responding appropriately without censorship. For this reason, this tropane alkaloid is also known as “the truth serum” and a very interesting fact to keep in mind is that years This drug had previously been used by INC during the war so that the hostages would tell the truth about espionage cases. But as we have said, this is explained because the functioning of the nervous system is compromised, not because burundanga makes doing what is asked of us an obligation for us.
What happens at the brain level after consuming Burundanga?
The strange thing in this case is that the victim She apparently doesn’t seem drugged or sleepy Apparently he is in a normal state, for this reason it is very difficult for people around him to perceive that the victim is under the effects of said drug. Burundanga makes everything that happens to the person seem normal, although its effects are very specific and quite powerful, although discreet. What is happening in our brain?
It is now evident that scopolamine acts on the memory functions and behavior but it is not known exactly what its action is. Ardila-Ardila, Moreno and Ardila-Gomez (2006) have shown through various studies that the memory and behavioral effects of burundanga poisoning are likely due to its anticholinergic nature and its involvement in certain nuclei of the brain. frontal lobe (Meynert’s nucleus basalis) and temporary (lobe that includes the hippocampus and limbic system, thus affecting the amygdala, responsible for reacting to threatening stimuli).
Scopolamine poisoning is an example of transient global amnesia and the severity of its effect will depend on the dose used.
Repercussions after poisoning
Dr. Myriam Gutiérrez, who heads the Department of Toxicology at the National University of Colombia, assures us that burundanga is the perfect substance for criminal acts since the victim cannot remember anything (not even that she herself had collaborated in the fact) and, therefore, there is no complaint. Furthermore, this substance disappears from the blood within 15-30 minutes and also disappears from the urine in approximately 12 hours, making it extremely difficult to obtain positive toxicological analyzes. This, of course, represents a limitation to prove that someone has been poisoned (Ardila-Ardila, Moreno and Ardila-Gómez, 2006).
After the fact, other studies, such as the one carried out by Bernal, Gómez, López and Acosta (2013), show that many of the victims of scopolamine poisoning have shown, once the poisoning episode has passed, significant repercussions at a medical, cognitive and social level such as attention and concentration failures, anterograde amnesia (difficulty remembering recent events), anxiety, isolation, etc. These negative effects on health are due to the fact that, in most cases, this episode generates trauma and leaves consequences; psychological treatment and subsequent follow-up are important.
There is little advice to give, since We are all vulnerable to falling into situations like this However, it is always good to remember preventive measures such as: always keep your drink under control when we go out for a drink, try to go out in a group, and in the event that we find ourselves in this situation (God forbid…) it is very important to go to the nearest hospital (try to go without urinating and without washing) and, of course, report
Conclusions and data to take into account about Burundanga
Burundanga is, in short, a substance whose main use is to induce a state of chemical submission. It is a drug made to be used in crimes and criminal acts, so its study is important to implement prevention measures. Unfortunately, perhaps due to burundanga’s association with night party contexts and, sometimes, sordid environments, little is still known about scopolamine.
It is possibly the case that burundanga is produced on a small scale by related laboratories, which maintain some control over the destination of their merchandise in order to prevent it from attracting too much attention. However, it is expected that if the effects of burundanga become more popular, this power to monitor what happens with scopolamine will be lost. Unfortunately, the level of knowledge about this drug will go hand in hand with its use.
