Cambodia News, (Phnom Penh): On November 3, 2021, the specialized police force of the Department of Anti-Drug Crimes presented two suspects to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for procedural action concerning the possession of 59 kilograms of illegal drugs.
It should be reminded that on October 31, 2021 at 14:20, the specialized force of the Anti-Drug Department (A5) cracked down on drug trafficking at Street 360, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang 1, arrested a suspect, Nguyen Wing Ty, and a few drugs.
Then, at 15:30 the same day, specialized forces searched and arrested another suspect, Heng Kimheng, at Room 7, Street 300, Group 19, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang II.

Exhibits seized included a variety of drugs:
- Methamphetamine (ICE) net weight 3.51 grams.
- KETAMINE net weight of 50.42 grams.
- Extraction (MDMA) net weight 1 kg 517.32 grams.
- METHCATHINONE, net weight 46 kg, 774 g.
Total weight 48 kg 345.25 g.
Ingredients (not clear) 6 kg 214.36 g. The suspects and exhibits above have built a case to be sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court according to the procedure.

For those readers who were wondering "What is Methcathinone ?"

Up-to-Date Information on Methcathinone

Methcathinone is an illegal stimulant drug that bears a chemical resemblance to both methamphetamine and cathinone, one of the active ingredients in another stimulant drug called khat. In parts of the United States, illicit drug manufacturers sell the drug as an alternative to methamphetamine or amphetamine. Like abusers of these two drugs, people who use/abuse methcathinone expose themselves to significant risks for drug addiction. Even in people who don’t become addicted, methcathinone produces clear risks for a number of harmful side effects during both active use and subsequent withdrawal.

The Basics

Methcathinone was first created in Germany in the late 1920s from cathinone, a mind-altering substance found in the plant species Catha edulis (which also contains a related mind-altering chemical called cathine). For the next two decades, it served as an antidepressant and weight-loss medication in parts of Eastern Europe. In the US, recreational use of the drug began in the late 1980s in the Midwest, where most confirmed cases of use/abuse still occur. Unlike the original cathinone-based form of the drug, illicitly produced methcathinone is typically made with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, two substances also used in the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine. Since the early 1990s, federal law has banned possession and use of the drug.

Like methamphetamine, amphetamine and cathinone, methcathinone achieves its mind-altering effects by changing normal levels of three key chemicals in the central nervous system-dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin-that function as neurotransmitters and relay the signals required for coordinated activity within this system. Methcathinone-related elevations in dopamine and norepinephrine levels trigger feelings of euphoria and overstimulation of the body’s natural “fight-or-flight” reflex. Methcathinone-related decreases in serotonin levels tend to produce irritability and other emotions associated with a bad mood.

Methcathinone comes in powdered form. Most users inhale the drug nasally, although other potential forms of administration include smoking, ingestion, and injection. In most cases, a single dose of methcathinone lasts anywhere from four to six hours; however, many people take repeated doses over a period of several days. Common street names for the drug include Cat, Ephedrone, Jeff, and Bathtub Speed.

Short-Term and Long-Term Effects

In addition to euphoria and irritability, common short-term effects of methcathinone include blood pressure increases, dehydration, abnormally high sweat output, heightened awareness or alertness, an elevated heartbeat, abnormally high body temperature, impaired higher-level reasoning skills, increased feelings of connectedness with others, speaking difficulties, and loss of normal appetite. People who take unusually high doses of methcathinone run the risk of additional side effects that can include uncontrollable muscle tremors, insomnia, convulsions, dangerous changes in normal heart and breathing rates, paranoia, anxiety, hallucinations, and delusional thought patterns. Harvard University reports potential consequences of a methcathinone overdose that include stroke, complete heart stoppage (cardiac arrest), coma, and death.

Significant numbers of long-term methcathinone users develop symptoms of medically serious depression. Other potential consequences of chronic use include longer-term forms of the paranoia, insomnia, convulsions, hallucinations, and heart rate elevations associated with short-term methcathinone intake, as well as heart muscle damage and fertility problems. In addition, smokers of the drug can develop lung damage, while snorters of the drug can develop holes in the nasal septum, which normally separates the two nostrils.
More: https://www.drugrehab.us/news/up-to-dat ... cathinone/

This drug has very similar effects has Meth, but is known to be simple to make with very limited chemical knowledge.
Methcathinone is most commonly made by the oxidation of ephedrine. Use of Pseudoephedrine HCl 30mg
ethanol and other easy obtained substances such has Potassium permanganate is widely used in chemical industry and laboratories as a strong oxidizing agent, and also as a medication for dermatitis, for cleaning wounds, and general disinfection.
It surprises me that we haven't had stories like the above news before now.

My guess ist that they planned to sell it as Meth or tried to synthesise Ephedrine from it, in order to make Meth out of that.

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Wed Nov 03, 2021 3:30 pm It should be reminded that on October 31, 2021 at 14:20, the specialized force of the Anti-Drug Department (A5) cracked down on drug trafficking at Street 360, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang 1, arrested a suspect, Nguyen Wing Ty, and a few drugs.
Then, at 15:30 the same day, specialized forces searched and arrested another suspect, Heng Kimheng, at Room 7, Street 300, Group 19, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang II.

Ingredients (not clear) 6 kg 214.36 g. The suspects and exhibits above have built a case to be sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court according to the procedure.

That would be handy if the suspects could build their own case.

It seems the first ones busted do the Pavarotti immediately, and invariably. Are they offered leniency in return for a bigger fish? Possibly recruited as an informant.

The drug and its components have been widely used for 4 decades, and I am a complete ignoramus.

Gotta get out more!

For those who may be thinking methcathinone may be an improvement simply because it's plant based: No.
I chewed khat several times in Ethiopia. It lasts all day and evolves into a headache. It sort of rests on your mucous membranes and head real lightly but you just don't blink much. It's a metallic kind of gaze that can't be offset by the wine. Sure you have energy, but it's not frenetic and you feel mildly sick in the head. Like head-nausea, if that makes any sense. Mildly everything amphetamine and subtly psychoactive in the bad way. I wouldn't want its addiction.
I'm familiar with altitude sickness, so that wasn't overshadowing it, or a remedy.

Once upon a time cocaina was hustled through the Addis airport from Brazil. Likely still is, and it wouldn't surprise me that khat has found its way in as a cheaper precursor alternative hustle.

I even met a khmer woman in Addis. Just saying.

Climate change, they say

John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Nov 03, 2021 6:32 pm

ArminLaschet wrote: ↑Wed Nov 03, 2021 6:28 pm My guess ist that they planned to sell it as Meth or tried to synthesise Ephedrine from it, in order to make Meth out of that.

Methcathinone is synthesized from ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, I'm not sure if there's any way of going backwards from there but I'm not a chemist.

There is a way to do that. You can oxidise ephedrine to methcathinone and you can also reduce methcathinone to ephedrine.

UPDATE
Cambodia News, (Phnom Penh): Two men appeared before the Phnom Penh court today (4 Nov. 2021) on charges of trafficking more than 50 kgs of drugs.

On the morning of November 4, the prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the case of two males, Nguyen Wing Ty and Heng Kimheng, who were charged with drug trafficking and processing.
The two men were arrested by the Anti-Drug police squad, in two separate operations under the command of Lt. Gen. Lek Vannak, in Phnom Penh on October 3 at 2:20 p.m.

Further news to come.