Police quiz two following 'sacred' drugs swoop in Dartington
A COUPLE have been arrested on suspicion of importing a powerful drug linked to a secretive religion, following a police raid on a Dartington home.
Officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Investigation Team headed up the raid which seized what is believed to be a quantity of ayahuasca — a liquid which contains the powerful hallucinogenic dimethyltryptamine, also known as DMT, a designated Class A drug in this country.
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Police believe the drug was brought into this country from Brazil where it is used as a 'sacrament' in the Santo Daime church – a blend of Christianity and South American and African religions.
The church was founded in South America in the 1930s, but has spread to the USA and Europe where worshippers are believed to meet secretly, often at each other's homes.
This is the first time the drug has been seized by the police in the West Country.
Det Sgt Stuart Gilroy, who led the Dartington raid, said: "As far as we can tell there has only been one other successful prosecution for the drug in this country and that was in another part of UK."
He described the drug as a "psychotropic hallucinogenic" used by members of the religion "to get in touch with their inner selves".
He said that it is believed the drug is used as a sacrament in the same way wine is used in Christian ceremonies.
He added: "It is too early to say if further investigations need to be carried out or other people need to be interviewed."
Four officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Investigation team and another five from the local Tactical Aid Group were involved in the raid which took place at 8.10pm on Wednesday.
Police said a 48-year-old man of UK origin and a 45-year-old female Japanese national were arrested.
The man has claimed to be a senior member of the Santo Daime religion.
Both were questioned at Torquay Police Station before being released on bail to return for further questioning while officers carry out further enquiries.
The drug comes in the form of a brown liquid.
Police have refused to say where they are keeping the drug until it can be analysed.
However it is being stored in special bio hazard bags.
Det Sgt Gilroy explained: "At the moment we don't know how potent it is."
Ayahuasca is a concoction prepared from a specific South American vine mixed with leaves of various shrubs containing DMT.
The hallucinogenic brew was first described academically back in the 1950s by a Harvard scientist.
Apparently, while none of the ingredients causes any psychedelic effect on its own the combination causes a powerful effect.
According to some reports the religion of Santo Daime – which means 'holy give me' - has surfaced in London, Devon and Cornwall as well as Northern Ireland, Wales and Yorkshire, and the number of worshippers is said to be in the hundreds.
The 'church' was born in the 1930s out of the experiences of a Brazilian rubber-tapper named Raimundo Irineu Serra, or Mestre (Master) Irineu, as followers call him.
In 1930 he was given his first taste of ayahuasca by medicine men and supposedly spent eight solitary days and nights in the rainforest, experiencing a series of visions and receiving instructions from the Virgin Mary.
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by Derrick, Torquay
Thursday, April 07 2011, 11:30AM
“Why does this have to be a secretive religeous cult how does the HE know people just aren'yt simply getting high?
I have partaken in DMT many times cooked up by a friend however this was in no way based on any religeous sacrement.
Is the HE postulating that all people who take acid or halucinagenci mushrooms or peyopte cactus are after some form of religeous vision or feeling?!
BOLLO*KS! Although it may be hard to concieve some people just like to get HIGH”
by Stuart, Shaldon
Thursday, April 07 2011, 8:37AM
“To the comments below, assuming these people are genuine religious believers, their freedom to express it is guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights. They can make this point in the courts if they want. This doesn't give people carte blanche to break the rules on prohibited drugs. There's a good case for legalising all drug use but that's not because of any restriction on religious freedoms.
As for this being awful journalism, I thought it was unbiased and factual.”
by R Dodson, USA
Thursday, April 07 2011, 3:44AM
“This article is evidence of why this religion is 'secretive' in prohibitionist areas like the UK and the US. I'd like to submit some information for consideration. Christians met secretly for portions of the Roman Empire, Jews worshiped secretly in Egypt and again in Nazi Germany, Christians (Protestant) and Catholics alternately worshiped secretly throughout periods of Europe's history while the other was in power and today Baha'is are forced to worship secretly under Iran's harsh Theocracy. There is no question which side our governments are on. Oppression and religious persecution are wrong any way you look at it. The US was founded on religious freedom and look what we've done with it.
More accurate information about Ayahuasca can be found here:
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ayahuasca.shtml
I don't pretend to know why Christians, Jews, Muslims or any other religious people believe what they believe or why they do what they do, but I do recognize that it is their right to do so. Where are our rights?”
by R Dodson, USA
Thursday, April 07 2011, 3:29AM
“This article is evidence of why Santo Daime is 'secretive' religion in prohibitionist places like the UK, US and many other backwards countries. I'd like to submit some information for your consideration. Christians met secretly during portions of the Roman Empire, Judaism was a secret religion in Egypt and again in Nazi Germany, Christians (Protestant) and Catholics have both worshiped in secret during alternating periods in European history, today Baha'is are forced to worship secretly in Iran. I think it is obvious which side today's governments fall on. Opression and religious persecution is never right. The US was founded on the principle of religious freedom and look what we've done with it.
More information about Ayahuasca can be found here:
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ayahuasca.shtml
I don't pretend to know why Christians, Muslims, Jews or any other religious people believe what they believe or live the ways they live, but I do recognize it as their right to do so. The majority doesn't need protection, rights are for the minorities. So where are our rights?”
by Alan, Midlands, UK
Tuesday, October 26 2010, 8:12PM
“While, on the whole, this article is reasonably balanced I'd object to the description of Santo Daime as a 'secretive' religion.
In Brazil, Holland and other countries where use of their sacrament is not (by inference from what it MAY contain) criminalised this religion is practiced quite openly & freely.
Also, Ayahuasca is no more a drug than bark from the willow tree - which contains a form of asprin - is a drug.
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a drug, but it is very different from Ayahuasca. As others have stated Ayahuasca does not necessarily contain DMT, and it is not considered an essential constituent. That said the DMT containing plans often used are recognised as a useful admixture in assisting freeing one's mind from its ego, gaining a new perspective on life and one's behaviours and patterns of action.
Ayahuasca is used as a sacrament or tool by 3 different Brazilian religions and studies carried out on members of one such group (Charles Grob et al, 1996 - Human psychopharmacology of hoasca, a plant hallucinogen used in ritual context in Brazil; J. Callaway et al, 1999) revealed a significant decline in alcoholism, violent behaviour and drug use in members since beginning working with Ayahuasca. It also showed, compared to a control group, Ayahuasca using members were more reflective, rigid, loyal, stoic, slow-tempered, frugal, orderly and persistent, with greater emotional maturity, greater confidence & more relaxed, optimistic, outgoing and energetic.
This research shouldn't be surprising given Ayahuasca's ritual use for thousands of years in South America.
Having used Ayahuasca - less frequently than I would have liked & not in a formalised religious context - I can say that while it is not necessarily physically pleasant or enjoyable it is a valuable & life-enhancing experience which everyone should be free to choose to undergo.
It is by no means a 'drug' trip taken for hedonistic reasons but can at times be a difficult and uncomfortable look at some of the most unpleasant & surpressed parts of your own soul & past behaviour. Those who choose to expand their knowledge of themselves with the aid of an entheogenic sacrament like Ayahuasca, in a supportive, respectful & spiritual group context should not be constrained by the state from doing so.
Their actions are private and cause no harm to others, or to themselves.
My prayers are with the couple arrested, hopefully either no charges will be brought or the subsequent court case will reaffirm their freedom to seek self-knowledge with the aid of Ayahuasca.”