Burundanga, the drug capable of overriding 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. In this way, some offenders and sex offenders supply the drug to the person they wish to rob, rape or even murder. Once consumed, the victim is completely unprotected.

There are few scientific publications specifically devoted to burundanga poisoning. This article aims to show a collection of data of interest about this substance, at the same time that aims to make people aware of the fact of taking preventive measures against certain situations.

What do we know about the Burundanga?

Scopolamine, also known as burundanga is a tropan alkaloid extremely toxic found as a secondary metabolite in certain plants. For centuries it has been used extensively 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 appears to have a sedative-hypnotic effect that complies with the intensity and duration characteristics that fit well with the purposes of criminals planning these actions.

Medicinal use of Burundanga

Scopolamine is not only related to criminal purposes, as it also has its medicinal use in the that it should be used in miniscule doses (less than 330 micrograms) because an overdose can cause delusions, aggressiveness, disorientation, seizures, coma, and even death (Álvarez, 2008).

It is usually used, in the field of medicine, to prevent and treat dizziness, for dilation of the pupil in fundus examinations and is even used as an antispasmodic, local analgesic and antiparkinsonian.

Criminal use of this drug

As it mentioned above, it is a drug used for criminal purposesThe burundanga poisoned victim follows any order without resisting, that is, if ordered, he is capable of offering his money and her belongings without making an attempt 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 the cases.

What makes this drug difficult for the victim to detect is that it does not taste or smell of anything in particular and can be delivered through different means such as such as food, drink (in the case of 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 overrides the will of the person, making them agree to carry out all kinds of actions. However, this is not true, since 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 has a great facility 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 a vulnerable behavior, at the same time that his will will be subject to that of the aggressor, that is, the will of the victim will be annulled completely. 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 of the central and peripheral nervous system, therefore, its symptoms are various, among them we can highlight the pupil dilation (blurry vision), stupor (partial state of consciousness in the person), tachycardia, urinary retention, reduced secretion salivary and stomach (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 their normal activities of daily life, it is as if the victim remains "Hypnotized" at the hands of her attacker, as it is able to guide the aggressor to his bank and provide him with the secret code, for example.

It is a substance that causes a complete removal of the free will while it continues to act, the brain is automated doing what it is ordered and responding appropriately without censorship, for this reason this Tropan alkaloid is also known as "the truth serum" and a very interesting fact to keep in mind is that years ago this drug had been used by INC during the war for hostages to 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 the burundanga manages to make 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 apparently does not appear drugged or sleepy. Apparently he is in a normal state, for this reason it is very difficult for those around him to perceive that the victim is under the influence of this drug. Burundanga makes everything that happens to the person seem normal, although its effects are very concrete and quite powerful, although discreet. What is happening in our brain?

It is now evident that scopolamine acts on the mnesic functions and behavior but its action is not known exactly. Ardila-Ardila, Moreno and Ardila-Gomez (2006) have shown through various studies that the mental and behavioral effects Burundanga poisoning is probably due to its anticholinergic character and its involvement in certain nuclei of frontal lobe (Basal nucleus of Meynert) Y temporary (lobe that includes 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 Toxicology department 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 has collaborated in the act) and, therefore, there is no complaint. In addition, this substance disappears in a period of 15-30 minutes from the blood and in about 12 hours. roughly disappears from the urine as well, making it extremely difficult to get tests positive toxicology. This, of course, represents a limitation to show 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, after the poisoning episode, important medical, cognitive and social repercussions 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 sequelae, a psychological treatment and subsequent follow-up.

There are few tips to give, since we are all vulnerable to falling into situations like thisHowever, it is always good to remind yourself of preventive measures such as: always have the 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 utility 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 the link between burundanga and night party contexts and, on occasions, sordid environments, little is still known about scopolamine.

It is possible that burundanga is produced on a small scale by interrelated laboratories, which maintain certain control over the destination of their merchandise in order to avoid calling too much attention. However, it is to be hoped 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 keep pace with its use.

Bibliographic references:

• Álvarez, L. (2008). Borrachero, sabanero or floripondio cocoa. A group of plants to be rediscovered in Latin American biodiversity. Culture and Drugs, 13(15), 77-93.
• Ardila-Ardila, A., Moreno, C. B., and Ardila-Gómez S. AND. (2006). Scopolamine poisoning ('burundanga'): loss of ability to make decisions. Journal of Neurology, 42(2), 125-128.
• Bernal, A., Gómez, D., López, S., and Acosta, M. R. (2013). Neuropsychological, neurological and psychiatric implications in a case of scopolamine poisoning. Psychology: advances in the discipline, 7(1), 105-118.
• Burke R.E. (1986). The relative selectivity of anticholinergic drugs for the M1 and M2 muscarinic receptor subtypes. Movement Disorders. 1 (2): 135–44.
• Salcedo, J., and Martínez, I. (2009). Scopolamine poisoning. Pan American Federation of Associations of Faculties of Medicine.