AFP finds new party drug ‘pig nose’ made of drug ‘offcuts’

Federal police are warning of the dangers of a new party drug known as pink cocaine – after testing revealed it rarely contains any actual cocaine, instead it’s a potentially lethal mix of meth, MDMA and ketamine.

A new party drug known as pink cocaine is making its way onto Sydney streets – but authorities are warning it can be lethal, and rarely contains any actual cocaine.

Also known as ‘tusi’, ‘pink panther’ and ‘pig nose’, it is usually sold as loose powder or pressed into blocks or tablets imprinted with symbols, similar to cocaine, while its pink colour is created with food colouring or dye.

The Australian Federal Police have been running tests on the drug, which they have dubbed an “organised crime marketing gimmick”, and found that it is essentially a grab bag of drug “offcuts”, including ketamine, MDMA, methamphetamine.

Pink cocaine seized by the AFP. Picture: Australian Federal Police

Drugs seized by the AFP. Picture: Australian Federal Police

The AFP has recently examined 133kg of pink cocaine detected by authorities across eight seizures in Australia between March and July this year. The most prominent drugs in the pink powder were ketamine, in purities ranging from 6.8 per cent to 51.3 per cent, and MDMA in purities ranging from 15.8 per cent to 33.2 per cent.

Due to the unpredictable purities of drugs in each batch, AFP Commander Paula Hudson said consuming it could lead to serious injury – and even death.

“People need to be aware of the dangers of using this drug, with serious health risks including loss of consciousness, stroke, heart attack and even death,” she said.

“It’s an unpredictable illicit drug cocktail that has the very real potential to destroy Christmas for you or your loved ones.”

In November, the AFP charged a Sydney man over alleged plot to import 252kg of

pink cocaine seized in Europe destined for Australia.

The drug is often pressed with different symbols. Picture: Australian Federal Police

The investigation was launched after the drug was detected in an air cargo consignment, labelled as containing an industrial saw and destined for Sydney.

Commander Hudson said the AFP was closely monitoring and targeting serious

organised crime groups and their involvement in the rise of pink cocaine detections in Australia.

“Transnational serious organised crime groups will try to profit from exploiting our community with novel, more dangerous and often cheaper substances,” Commander Hudson said.

“Pink cocaine is a deadly concoction made up with a grab-bag of offcuts from other illicit drugs like MDMA, ketamine and methamphetamine in unpredictable purities.

“It is then dyed with artificial food colour to produce its pink colour in an attempt to appeal to users, naive to the serious dangers.”

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