MAJOR 'DODA' DRUG BUST IN SURREY

A police raid on a Surrey business has netted hundreds of pounds of
opium poppy pods and equipment used to make "doda," a drug that's
become popular in the South Asian community.

In particular, doda is prevalent in the truck and taxi industries,
Surrey RCMP said Thursday.

It's believed to be the first large-scale seizure of doda in
B.C.

The drug is derived from the opium poppy pod, which is crushed into a
fine powder and then mixed with a liquid, usually tea. Doda is also
known as "poor man's heroin."

A member of the Surrey RCMP drug section described the location of the
seizure as a "large, industrial scale milling and manufacturing
operation in a very busy shopping (centre) complex."

Police seized hundreds of pounds of poppy pods and finished product
along with crushing and grinding equipment. "This was a very busy
commercial enterprise." Four people were taken into police custody at
the scene and later released.

Opium and its derivatives, which include codeine and morphine, can
produce a feeling of euphoria in its users, and is believed to be addictive.

Surrey RCMP will now forward the seized product to a Health Canada lab
to confirm the presence of drugs prohibited under the Controlled Drugs
and Substances Act, which makes it illegal to produce, possess or sell
opium and its derivatives. Charges will be forwarded to Crown for
approval after the lab results are known.

Police agencies and departments in Ontario and Alberta, along with
Canadian Border Services Agency, have made recent seizures of this
drug, but none the size of the haul in Surrey this week.

Police say the physical and cognitive effects of doda include quick,
intense feelings of pleasure, followed by a sense of well-being and a
calm drowsiness. Other effects on the body include red eyes, slurred
speech, mood swings, constipation, impotence, body aches, loss of
appetite and ability to concentrate, and potential breathing problems.