| Posted by fluffy ® , Oct 06,2003,13:14 | MetroBlab |
A drugs epidemic and accompanying crime wave is sweeping Baghdad.
A boom in supply of hallucinogenic tablets has been coupled with the release of tens of thousands of criminals from prison before the US-led invasion to create a huge problem for the fledgling Iraqi police force.
As well as the tablets, drugs like Valium and sleeping pills - in common use in Iraqi jails - are being used. The euphoria and lack of fear provided by the drugs, the police say, is giving desperate criminals the courage to carry out more crimes.
"The release of those prisoners was a crime - a crime against me, against all Iraqis," Omar Zahed, the leader of the Iraq police's anti-drugs squad, told BBC World Service's Outlook programme.
"There has been a big increase in crime, and the released prisoners have started involving other people as well.
"Most of our criminals take these tablets before they act. It stops them feeling any scruples or fear.
"When the effects wear off, they forget what they did. It has caused a huge increase in crime."
rest of article is here;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3156048.stm