SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 24, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Law enforcement agents in Utah say they are making progress in the fight against substances marketed as bath salts, which are dangerous when used as stimulating, mind-altering drugs.
Synthetic cathinone products marketed as bath salts are different than products such as Epsom salt, which people use while bathing.
Synthetic cathinones usually take the form of a white or brown crystal-like powder and are sold in small plastic or foil packages labeled “not for human consumption,” according to information from the National Institute On Drug Abuse.
“Synthetic cathinones are marketed as cheap substitutes for other stimulants such as amphetamines and cocaine,” the site says.
Synthetic cathinones can produce effects that include paranoia, hallucinations, panic attacks, excited delirium and violent behavior, the site says.
The news conference
Speaking at the Tuesday news conference were Chief Mike Brown, Salt Lake City Police; Brandon Crane, assistant special agent in charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Dustin Gillespie, assistant special agent in charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
“Last year, the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force targeted bath salts distributors and seized more than 40 kilograms of bath salts, more than $6 million in real estate for guns and approximately $2.5 million in cash and assets,” Brown said.
The investigations resulted in the arrest of 25 people. Twenty-one vehicles were seized, worth more than $400,000. Over $300,000 in jewelry and over $300,000 in designer handbags,” Brown said.
“The people involved in this investigation thought they could avoid accountability and live a lavish lifestyle. Make no mistake. We will not let drug trafficking go unchecked in Salt Lake City or the state of Utah.”
Using bath salts “can lead to agitation, paranoia, delusions, aggression, and even death,” Brown said.
Gillespie said the DEA Task Force, a team of 15 federal, state and local law enforcement agents, targets “the most significant violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations spreading poison in our communities. Although our investigations typically start locally, it is our goal to build our cases to target and defeat the entire drug distribution network that is multi jurisdictional and international in nature.”
It’s very common for the bath salts packaging to say not for human consumption, he said.
“Make no mistake: Salts are highly addictive poison that can lead to substance use disorder, with symptoms that include combativeness, violence, hallucinations. The drug dealers’ attempts to market these drugs as something innocent or simply a poor attempt to thwart drug law and avoid prosecution.”
Gillespie noted that the 500 grams of bath salts on display during the news conference had a street value in Salt Lake County of about $200,000.
Crane praised the efforts of the DEA Metro Task Force.
“This cooperation ultimately led to the dismantlement of several of these large groups, HSI remains focused on our shared quest to identify and destroy transnational criminal organizations that attempt to distribute these dangerous compass dangerous contraband across our borders.”
Investigations are ongoing, he said.
