Christmas Toys Concealed Deadly 'Date Rape' Drug

In a startling discovery on Christmas Day 2023, Australian authorities intercepted a package from Spain containing approximately 1.5kg of high-purity ketamine. The illicit substance was concealed within five children's Christmas toys, including a plush Santa, elf, snowman, and one of the Three Kings. The package was addressed to an individual in Perth. After alerting the Australian Federal Police (AFP), officers replaced the ketamine with an inert substance and allowed the delivery to proceed on January 4, 2024. The AFP raided the Perth residence shortly after, finding the package opened and some of the substituted drugs removed. Subsequently, a 29-year-old Italian man pleaded guilty to attempting to traffic a commercial quantity of ketamine and dealing with suspected crime proceeds. He was sentenced to a maximum of six years and eight months in prison, eligible for parole after three years and four months. A second Italian national received a three-year prison sentence for his involvement. The AFP stated that this operation led to the dismantling of a Spanish-based transnational organised crime syndicate accused of trafficking drugs to Australia. Spanish law enforcement has charged several individuals in Barcelona and Ibiza in connection with the case.