PH ‘fly high’ drug: Lethal mix of ecstasy, shabu

Bea Cupin

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PH ‘fly high’ drug: Lethal mix of ecstasy, shabu
The illegal substance may cause ulcers, serious mental issues, and cardiovascular problems

MANILA, Philippines – There’s a new drug that’s making the rounds in the local party scene and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) wants to make sure it doesn’t go beyond the country’s borders.

Known as “fly high,” “party,” or “superman” in the local party scene, the drug is a dangerous cocktail of ecstasy (3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and shabu (methamphetamine) or cialis, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.

Its effects? Between 3 to 4 days of insomnia, loss of appetite, and hypersexuality, according to Jacquelyn de Guzman of the PDEA National Capital Region office.

“You don’t eat for 3 or 4 days and you don’t feel the hunger….You don’t sleep for an extended period of time and you’re active. According to information gathered from the field, with ‘fly high’ you’re very sexually activate and very sexually satisfied,” De Guzman told reporters at the sidelines of the 4th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Airport Interdiction Task Force meeting on May 21, Wednesday.

The meeting, PDEA Director General Undersecretary Arturo Cacdac Jr said, would unify inter-agency efforts to curb drug trafficking at international airports.

“Fly high,” said De Guzman, is one of the illegal drugs PDEA brought up during the meeting. Although PDEA has monitored the emergence of “fly high” in the Philippines, they are not sure if it’s as prevalent in other countries.

“We don’t know the existence because they might be calling it a different name,” she added.

Homemade drug cocktail

“[They call it ‘fly high’] because you soar high daw; high talaga. Ayon, sex ng sex,” she added. (They call it fly high because you soar; the high is intense. You keep on having sex.)

It’s long-term effects have not yet been determined, but De Guzman said one of the possible detrimental effects include ulcers caused by not eating for days on end,  serious mental issues, and cardiovascular problems.

It has an effect on the psyche of a person….It’s a drug so it’s possible for any drug to lead to a mental nervous breakdown and a heart attack,” she added. 

De Guzman said the drug was discovered in November 2013 when they were tipped off of its popularity in the local party scene. The cocktail costs between P1,500 to P3,500 a capsule, which can be shared by 2-8 users.

While shying away from calling it “rampant,” De Guzman admitted it was a huge cause for concern. Most deals involving “fly high” happen online, she said, making it easier for pushers to sell the drug.

HOMEMADE. 'Fly high' was first discovered when PDEA nabbed a suspect caught manufacturing the drug. Photo by Rappler

PH as ASEAN’s ‘model’

In January 2014, authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport nabbed a suspect who was trying to transport “fly high” from Manila to an exclusive beach resort.

The presence of “fly high” in the suspect’s possession, said De Guzman, was detected through profiling and NAIA’s standard security measures. This is also why ASEAN countries and those beyond the region are looking at the Philippines as a “model” for busting illegal drug rings.

Putting a stop to the illegal drug trade is one of the priorities highlighted in another ASEAN meet, the ASEAN Association of Chiefs of Police. Regional police chiefs are targeting a “drug free” region by 2015.

Representatives from the 10 ASEAN members countries were present during the meeting, alongside other Philippine law-enforcement agencies.

As of May 2014, the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group has intervened in 19 cases of suspects attempting to smuggle drugs through the international airport. – Rappler.com

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Bea Cupin

Bea is a senior multimedia reporter who covers national politics. She's been a journalist since 2011 and has written about Congress, the national police, and the Liberal Party for Rappler.