Police quiz two following ‘sacred’ drugs swoop in Dartington
This is very close to home, Dartington of course being the location of Schumacher College where I am just finishing my masters degree. The story was also covered briefly by the BBC.
Police quiz two following ‘sacred’ drugs swoop in Dartington
By Steve Peacock
The Herald Express
Friday 3rd September 2010
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.
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.
Hi Simon,
Interesting read which reminded me of the scene in “The Emerald Forest” in which Tommae was given a hallucinogenic substance during a shamanic ritual to find his spirit animal / destination of sacred stones? I do not condone the use of drugs or substances but I am first to understand the ritual-significance and careful use in sacred ceremonies that sadly would not be understood by the police state in which we live in here in the UK. I wonder if this matter in Devon will become a test case as I believe so far there have been no such cases of prosecution regarding the activities or uses of these substances by Santo Daime followers?
Of course, there is no better way of finding ones spirit animal than through drum meditation and chant (in my humble opinion)
All the best, Ian
Ian – I do believe that there was one previous prosecution but I do not have information on it. I am obviously a person interested in indigenous use of natural plant hallucinogens, rather than syncretic religious use, but obviously I very much respect their chosen path. Yes, I took drum and chant and find it a very powerful way to connect with mother nature.
Hi, do you know the people who were arrested? Or do you know any more details on the case? I desperately need to get in touch with them.
lol jan, yeah…….me too!
I do know them, still need to connect?
Santo Daime surely abuses this Substance. I know one Girl that has had Sex with an entire Department of Santo Daime in Brazil on DMT.
The proper shamanic use of it would only be to give it to a person spiritually prepared for it and that once in a lifetime.
There are good people in the Santo Daime, and some perhaps people with different intentions in the Santo Daime. There are shaman who heal people, and there are shaman who use ayahuasca only to harm. Ayahuasca is ayahuasca, and those with light in their hearts will work in partnership with it and have secrets revealed to them. This does not come easily, nor does it come cheaply, nor does it come without reverence and commitment.
I agree with you completely Simon. I was thinking the exact same thing just before I read your comment.
Have you got her number.
I am sorry but I am not in a position to pass on personal details at this stage. Please send me an email if you wish to pass on a message to the support team.
Simon is right. As a shaman who administers healing through the guidance of two African Witch Doctor guides, I fully agree. There are sadly similar parallels in all walks of our life and a great many who abuse and take advantage – this is NOT our way and anyone who has the slightest inclination toward harm/abuse should remove themselves from our trust and circle. These people are horrid. Remember we all should be one with spirit, listen to our guides, offer the healing in the ways we are guided, celebrate through ceremony that brings light not dark, that brings wisdom not irrational thought/action. Call on our guides and listen to them. Do not go down the dark road, do not even allow yourself to be drawn into this seedy merk.
I dislike Big Government intensely. It constantly invades the rights of individualism, and always gets away with theft by inventing immoral Laws. The People need to remember that they are ultimately the Government, and that those who claim to serve the People, ought to be reminded by the People.
Big Government is nothing more than a Criminal fraternity opposing Liberty at every opportunity. I really dislike Big Government. It has no value accept the value it places upon Lies and all out War.
I found interesting the part where “are believed to meet secretly, often at each others’ homes.s” LOL How else are they supposed to meet considering the legal status of Ayhuasca which I will refrain from referring to as a drug? A circular sort of reference where something is bad because people do it secretively but it’s only done secretively because society deems it bad? Stop the bus! I want off!
Of couse the police.intelligence services politicians and judges never meet in secret in peoples homes and have strange religious practices
great comment! 2 thumbs up. Uh… Bohemian Grove much? lol
The legal drug, tobacco, kills 140,000 people in the UK every year. The legal drug, alcohol, kills 10,000s every year. Both are taxed heavily by the ‘drug-dealing’ government.
Deaths from ayahuasca 0. Deaths from marijuanu 0.
“Arrested on suspicion of…”
Jesus. Just how far away from REAL freedom has this country strayed? A grown adult cannot introduce substances into their OWN bodies without the “ok” from The State.
We are already in a socialist country. We have been for nearly 100 years… maybe longer.
REAL freedom cannot be given by an institution. REAL freedom can only be declared by the very individuals who seek freedom. This is the only reason the movie “Braveheart” is any good.
The fact that they were simply arrested ON SUSPICION makes the matter all the more clear. Socio-fascist-demi-democracy is the real political picture in this country.
Ok folks, yes we live in countries that pile on oppression and it seems in this case using merely suspicion; but should we not be channelling our thoughts, powers and messages in a positive way rather than sharpen the axe to drive down the political agenda? Surely, the media does enough of that on our behalf??? Let’s bond from all our spheres of shamanism and listen to our soul and hear our guides. I have done this very thing tonight and taken great comfort from what is a difficult time in our world. We should be united and ONE regardless of the oppression but not speak with aggression in our voices or in our words.
It has become obvious, to me, that I will continue in the fashion you have described. My wife and I are both of the same school of thought. However, it is also clear to me that the world at large MUST rip itself apart before a new paradigm of peace and utopia may be found.
A human utopia is literally impossible with the current paradigm. Without destruction, a new construct cannot be formed.
But like you say, the new way cannot be formed of violence. Our jobs are to withstand (physically, mentally, and spiritually) the coming hardships.
The time of spiritual avoidence is over it is time to get off our knees and confront these people who are taking away our freedoms avoidence is no longer an option we need to support these two in court and anyone else who is targeted by these bullies
The only way to redress the total waste of public money thrown away on persuceting responsible adults using ANY drug for ANY purpose is for the current idiotic laws to be replaced with new laws which enforce dragging the buffoons who wrote & enforce the current laws from their beds in the dead of night and subjecting them to at least equal persecution. The British establishment needs a bloody good smack in the face – and it needs it hard.
Can someone put me straight on this, I am a little naive as to the understanding of this. My understanding is that all human beings carry DMT in the brain or else we wouldnt be able to dream etc, these plants are nature and perhaps if there is a God made by God ?? So we have a natural substance within the Nature of our world where a concoction of Nature has been used by Shamans as a medicine for good use ?? It seems that its power described is such that it is given the upmost respect and therefore given a sacred ceremony ??? No Death rituals involved no blood spilled just people who invoke a special doorway to go inside themselves deeper ?? and the Police are so worried about this that they find it a threat ?? to who ?? why is someting given by nature a threat ???? Does this mean in my understanding that the Poiice will have to arrest each other as they carry the “drug” naturally inside their own brains ??? Please someone put me straight on this …… Thanks I just dont get it. If the police are enforcing policy what policy is this ? Its not a chemically man made straight manufacturing of DMT is it ?? It is two plants infused by a process that produces an effect. A bit like Tobacco ?? only far more natural and not manufactured – So the police are now stating that Nature is a threat to their livelihood or something like that ?? I am confused into what is going on here. Does this Ayahuasca actually produce something so great that the police are being driven to hunt it down and stop it ??? If so Please let me know when I go and try it -
You are not naive – yes, it is pretty much what you say. In my day job I work in partnership with Police and other agencies and I can tell you that their priorities are deterring violent crime and increase public safety – my effective frontline services to you and I. None of what we know about the ‘Ayahuasca’ case fits this priority list. OR is there a new category of violent crime? …”Nature.” The jury is out me thinks! (sorry for the pun).
Big pharma probably has a hand to play too. Make nature/natural cures illegal so they can sell you their chemical-based ‘medication’, which generally does more harm than good, but rakes in the profit for them, while they cruise around the med in the yacht they bought with last years bonus!
Ayahuasca is a powerful tool to help people connect with their souls. This is what the puppetmasters are afraid off; human beings waking up and realising there’s more to life than the daily grind to earn enough money to continue to consume on all the hand fed bullshit nonsense they try to shove down our throats.
1000% agree!
As An Ayahuasca user in the States I see this as a firm halt in a religious experience. I hope the best for all of the wrongfully accused. Being Native American descendant, it is only natural for one to seek the great spirit. It pines me to my core to know that my brothers and sisters are facing these harsh times. I do not condone the use of Ayahuasca but I hope that when used you do have a guide.
“To know Ayahuasca, is to know the great spirit.”
Please if you can, help. In times like these we are all seeking the same thing.
Laughing Bear, your words are so true. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, I believe we all should be one with spirit, listen to our guides, offer the healing in the ways we are guided, celebrate through ceremony that brings light not dark, that brings wisdom not irrational thought/action. Call on our guides and listen to them. Do not go down the dark road. This is our way and has always been our way, especially against the forces that oppress, remove nature and the the natural world.