Fears ‘world's scariest Zombie drug' Devil's Breath is in UK after woman suffered horrifying ordeal on tube

The Irish Sun

25-06-2025

THE world's scariest drug Devil's Breath - used by organised crime groups to kidnap Brits abroad - may have made its way into the UK.
The mind-warping chemical was once tested by the CIA as a truth serum and turns tourists into "zombies" who give up valuables without a struggle.
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Atropa belladonna, commonly known as deadly nightshade, is a highly toxic plant and is used for scopolamine, also known as Devil's Breath
Credit: Alamy
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Deborah Oscar, 30, suspects she was spiked on a London train with 'Devil's Breath' drug
Credit: SWNS
Also known as scopolamine or burundanga, the powerful drug is derived from the seeds of the Borrachero tree and wipes away memory and free will.
The US's Overseas Security Advisory Council has warned travellers to South America about the dangers of Devil's Breath.
It is administered via drinks, chewing gum, cigarettes or paper and card.
The drug has also been linked to deaths in the UK - including Irish dancer Adrian Murphy, who died in 2019 after his killers administered scopolamine.
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Last month it was reported that Colombian police fear London-based scientist Alessandro Coatti, 38, who was found dead while on holiday in Santa Marta in April, may have been targeted with Devil's Breath too.
While the powdered form is tasteless and odourless, it is a potent drug that can disorient and incapacitate people and lead to hallucinations.
How tourists are being targeted with 'Devil's Breath' drug that turns victims into 'zombies' for robberies & kidnaps
By Juliana Cruz Lima
In doses as small as 10mg, it can paralyse victims and leave them highly susceptible to commands, making them easy prey for criminals.
Victims lose their will, forget what happened, and often hand over PINs, valuables and passwords without a fight.
Now Colombian gangs are plying unsuspecting tourists with the drug via drinks, chewing gum, cigarettes — or even business cards soaked in the substance — often after luring them through apps like Tinder or Grindr. And the body count is rising.
In a UK first, the drug was used in 2019 to
Teen killer Diana Cristea and her boyfriend Joel Osei met him on Grindr, poisoned him with scopolamine, and ransacked his flat.
They were later convicted of murder and attempted murder of a second victim.
British-based scientist Alessandro Coatti, 42, was on holiday in Santa Marta last month when he was lured to an abandoned house via Grindr.
There, investigators believe he was drugged, bludgeoned to death, dismembered, and stuffed into suitcases.
Only his head, hands and feet have been recovered.
One of the masterminds behind this chilling criminal trend is alleged gang boss Carolina Mejía Montoya, 27, nicknamed 'The Queen of Scopolamine.'
She was arrested in Medellín after years of drugging and robbing foreign tourists in luxury apartments and hotels across the tourist hotspots of El Poblado and Parque Lleras.
She racked up millions in thefts, using her beauty to gain the trust of high-profile visitors.
In one night alone, she stole more than 120 million pesos from an Italian and an American man, police said.
CCTV captured her leading victims into short-term rentals before drugging them and fleeing with their cash, cards and jewellery.
Mejía, part of the La Marina gang, had previously been granted house arrest in a gun case — only to vanish and continue her spree.
According to the UK Addiction Treatment group, it can also effect memories, make users highly impressionable and even paralyse them.
Victims have been raped, convinced to commit violent crimes, emptied their bank accounts and even had their organs stolen while under the influence of this drug.
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Zaheen Ahmed, Director of Addiction Therapy at The UKAT Group, told The Sun: "It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that Devil's Breath could have made its way into the UK.
"Unfortunately, when there's high demand for drugs, especially 'new' drugs, supply will find a way.
"Although primarily found in Columbia, we know that it's already made its way into Europe, and so unfortunately, there is every chance that it is already here."
It comes after a woman claimed she was spiked with the terrifying drug on a London tube.
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Deborah Oscar, 30, was on the
Barely able to keep her eyes open, Deborah remembered a TikTok video she had seen about 'Devil's Breath' - a drug called scopolamine blown on victims to turn them into compliant "zombies" before they are robbed or killed.
She stumbled out of the train to safety.
Deborah, a content creator, from Abbey Wood, southeast London, is adamant she was hit with the drug which at one point was used in an estimated 50,000 attacks a year in South America, with reports of street robberies in Paris.
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Deborah said: "This train was fairly empty, and this woman was walking slowly wafting this newspaper staring at me.
"I assumed she was a confused tourist about to ask for directions.
What is Devil's Breath?
Some people may take the drug on purpose for a "dream-like state" it can induce, mistakenly thinking it will be like mainstream hallucinogens like LSD.
But Devil's Breath hallucinations tend to be far more disturbing and disjointed, often manifesting as nightmarish visions or confusing scenarios that blur the lines of reality.
It may also be taken by mistake due to its close resemblance to cocaine.
The correct dosage of the drug is notoriously hard to pin down, and even a slight miscalculation can lead to an overdose.
This can lead to respiratory failure, acute psychosis and even death.
Symptoms may include dry mouth, difficulty speaking, lethargy, hallucinations, rapid heartbeat and disorientation.
Source: The UKAT Group
"But she just maintained eye contact. It felt eerie and very odd but she was quite well dressed, so I didn't feel scared really, she just looked like a tourist.
"Then she came and sat down next to me and I felt like I needed a deep sleep, I suddenly felt very peaceful.
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"Like the first few seconds when you have anaesthesia before a surgery.
"I thought I had low blood sugar, maybe I was about to faint - that's when I remembered videos I had seen about the 'Devil's Breath' drug.
"She walked away eventually but kept staring at me the whole time."
Deborah said she was left feeling drunk - and that her "mind was working faster than her body", during the incident around 11am on Tuesday, June 17.
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"The doors closed behind me and I got away - once I stepped into the fresh air outside, the feeling began to subside too.
"I had my Yves Saint Laurent bag on me, maybe they thought I was wealthy. But I was wearing a dress from Primark too."
After sharing her experience online she said she has had other people contacting her sharing similar experiences in London.
When contacted, the Met Police were unable to comment on whether this is a wider issue across London.
A TfL spokesperson said: "Everyone should feel safe and be safe when travelling in London and we're very sorry that Ms Oscar experienced what must have been an extremely frightening incident for her.
"We take all reports of crime seriously and are investigating this incident
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"We ask anyone who witnesses or experiences a crime to report it to British Transport Police on 6101."
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Deborah Oscar was left fearing for her safety after being "spiked" with the drug
Credit: SWNS
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The incident went down on the Elizabeth Line as it left Abbey Wood
Credit: Getty