SHOCKING PINK
Sinister rise of deadly Ibiza party drug pink cocaine…which killed boy of 14 & is like a ‘bomb going off’
Brits are playing a dangerous game of 'lucky dip' as the £80 drug floods the party island
ON the streets of Madrid, a teenage boy collapses and dies after downing an energy drink mixed with trendy drug pink cocaine.
Just an hour's flight away in Ibiza, clubbers high on the same substance are tearing up the dance floor.
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As party season approaches, fears are rising that Brits could fall foul of the deadly drug which is flooding the clubbers' paradise.
Touted as an attractive new drug, pink cocaine is actually a dangerous mix of cheaper narcotics like ketamine and ecstasy, dyed to make it look fluorescent.
One expert warned: “The effects are like a bomb.”
The dangerous drug features in a new BBC documentary starring former Love Island star Zara McDermott, which kicked off last night.
Her four-part series, Ibiza: Secrets of the Party Island, reveals the dark underbelly of the popular spot where 800,000 Brits holiday each year.
Zara probes the issues facing local cops from the theft of expensive watches to the rise of pink cocaine - and even helps them uncover a bag of the drug thrown into bushes by a drug dealer.
She also sits down with a drugs boss who tells her street dealers can make a staggering £43,000 EVERY DAY in high summer.
Zara, 27, says: “When I post I am in Ibiza, I've actually had people posting and offering me drugs. It is interesting how people are using social media to sell drugs.
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“It is not just something you find down a back alley, it is on your Instagram.
"Everyone knows drugs exist everywhere and are somewhat part of Ibiza culture, but having been sat in the back of a police car, learning... street dealers are making huge amounts of money because they are taking the risk.”
Shock moment Ibiza tourist has £500k Rolex swiped from wrist in SECONDS as gang underworld targeting tourists laid bare
Pink cocaine, which originates from the Colombian city of Medellin, has become the scourge of Spain and the Balearic islands.
In February, a 14-year-old, identified only as Ryan, became one of the world's first victims of the drugs.
He died near his home in Madrid after drinking Red Bull spiked with two grams of the narcotic.
His parents claim the boy and two friends met up with strangers they connected with on Instagram - and that he had no idea his drink contained drugs.
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'Coca-Cola of drugs'
Pink cocaine has been described in South America as “very millennial” and the “Coca-Cola” of drugs - yet experts say it has now been diluted to become “dealers' leftovers.”
The Spanish drugs testing agency has launched a campaign to make tourists and locals aware of health risks - including blurred vision, panic attacks, anxiety, heart problems and strokes.
A police source told the Majorca Daily Bulletin: "It's so powerful that it causes severe hypertension and can lead to heart failure. It's a bomb because it is ecstasy and amphetamines in powder form. People don't know what they are consuming."
Despite the dangers, party goers refuse to give up the fashionable drug and told The Sun they'd be happy to take it on holiday too.
One user, in her 40s, told The Sun: "It's a bit trippy but it's a great drug for chilling.
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"I'd have no qualms about taking it on Ibiza - its' not like you can't get your hands on it here at home anyway. "
Captain Maria Elena Cogollo, of Spain’s Civil Police drug analysis group, said the substance was almost exclusive to music venues, nightclubs and raves - making it attractive to clubbers on Ibiza.
It's a bomb because it is ecstasy and amphetamines in powder form. People don't know what they are consuming
Spanish police rep
Berta de la Vega, coordinator of Energy Control, a Spanish drugs testing facility, said the drug isn't even expensive to make.
She said dealers buy a gram of MDMA for about 40 euros and ketamine for between 20 and 35 euros
She said: "You take a bit of each, mix them, add the pink colour, a little strawberry smell and, voila, you sell it for 100 euros.”
Ibiza club scene
The tiny island has just under 50,000 inhabitants
800,000 Brits head to Ibiza every year
Party season runs from May to October and there are over 20 main clubs hosting parties throughout
Privilege (originally known as the Ku Club), is a current Guinness World record holder for being the world's largest nightclub, with a capacity of 10,000 people
A recent survey found that 54 per cent of UK nationals in Ibiza reported using illicit drugs including ecstasy, cocaine, cannabis, ketamine and amphetamine
Violent British gangs behind rise
Pink cocaine is often known in Spain as Rosada, Tusi, Nexus or Eros.
In 2022, twelve people were arrested in Ibiza after cops busted a gang on the island with 13 kilos of the substance.
The Guardia Civil described the mini cartel, armed with a sub machine gun and silencer, as mainly British and "of a very violent nature" adding that they specialised in stealing from other drugs gangs.
It’s called ‘dealers’ leftovers' in Holland as it’s literally the sweep of whatever’s in the bottom of the bag, then dyed pink to make it look pretty
The Pill Report
Claudio Vidal, director of Energy Control, last year told The Sun how the narcotic is related to “entertainment and parties.”
He said: “The more entertaining a place and full of young people, the more possible it is to find this product.
"Unfortunately, this drug has entered the country recently and has received a lot of attention in Spain - and that's not good.
"Of course, areas like Marbella, Ibiza are the perfect places to find these substances."
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'Dealers' leftovers'
It’s not just Ibiza where pink cocaine is becoming more popular.
The drug has been found in Leeds and at the Lost Village Festival, held in secluded woodland near sleepy Norton Disney in Lincolnshire.
According to the Pill Report, which gives advice on Instagram, pink cocaine is a “lucky dip” drug
In one post, they wrote: “The s*** your dealers’ selling as Tuci is probably a plain old mix of ketamine and MDMA, with none of that elusive 2C-B.
“It’s a bit of a lucky dip too, as lab tests frequently find caffeine, 3-MMC (another designer drug) and other synthetics.
“The amounts of each substance change wildly from batch to batch, so you’ll never get the same high twice.
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"It’s called ‘dealers’ leftovers' in Holland as it’s literally the sweep of whatever’s in the bottom of the bag, then dyed pink to make it look pretty.”
Ibiza: Secrets of the Party Island returns on Sunday on BBC3 and episode one is on iPlayer now