Visakhapatnam: Drug mafia spiked narcotics into dried yeast, as the two are easily separable, chemical experts contacted by Deccan Chronicle have disclosed.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has seized a shipment of 25,000 kg inactive dried yeast at the Visakhapatnam Container Terminal of the Vizag port.
It is suspected the mafia planned to separate the drug from yeast after collecting the shipment.
Deccan Chronicle asked chemical experts to throw light in this regard.
Professor B. Siddaiah of the chemical department in Andhra University explained, "Dried yeast dissolves in lukewarm sugar water. Cocaine hydrochloride in salt form also dissolves in water. If sodium hydroxide base is added to this mixture drop by drop while stirring, cocaine precipitates in solid form. Once the precipitate is filtered and powdered, pure cocaine will be obtained.”
Drugs mixed in dried yeast can be separated through two other chemical methods –solvent extraction and instrument extraction methods. However, the second method cannot isolate drugs on a large scale, whereas solvent extraction can.
Former AU vice chancellor G. Nageswar Rao, currently a professor at the chemical department, said, “The suspected narcotics mixed with inactive dried yeast can be added to solvents like chloroform, ether, benzene or toluene. Once the mixture is distilled, they will evaporate between 50 to 70 degrees centigrade. Narcotics can thus be separated from the 25,000 kg of inactive dried yeast.”
