Customs watch post for head shop drugs

Customs officials are vigilantly monitoring the post to try and pick up illegal head shop-style drugs.

It is an offence under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2010 to sell or import a psychoactive substance for human consumption. There is also a ban on advertising of such substances.

However, a British-based website is promoting its goods here, and offering cheap postal rates to customers in Ireland, down from £7.95 (€9.75) to just £3.95.

Charlie-Boy.com sells what it calls legal and herbal highs and research chemicals. It advertises them as Blowout, Snow Blow, Benzo Fury, GoGaine, and Pink Panthers.

According to the website, all orders are dispatched in “discreet packaging”.

The substances are similar to those outlawed in 2010 to deal with the proliferation of so-called legal highs.

In May 2010, about 200 substances were placed under the control of under the Misuse of Drugs Acts. In Aug 2010 the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 made it a criminal offence to sell substances which have psychoactive effects.

Due to the laws, there was a significant reduction in the number of head shops in the country from over 100 to about 10.

The department and other agencies are trying to stay abreast of the chemists who manufacture these products.

Last November, 60 other substances were brought under control to prevent those making them from simply changing chemical structures to fall outside the law.

They included substances similar to mephedrone, street name Meow, which was controlled in May 2010; naphthylpyrovalerone and related substances, or the legal-high product Pure NRG; desoxypipradol, found in the legal high product Whack, and aminotetralins and aminoindans, found in the legal high product Pink Champagne.

According to the Department of Justice, while such products may be available on the internet, Revenue’s Customs Service are watching for online purchases.

A department spokesperson said customs had adopted a multi-agency approach to the issue and were working closely with the Irish Medicines Board and the gardaí.

Charlie-Boy.com’s disclaimer states the purchaser accepts all liability for any action that may be taken by the country of their residence for the importation of any of the products listed on this web site.

“Customers are responsible to check the local laws and regulations in his/her country before they order any goods from the site. Charlie-Boy can’t be held responsible for any customs seizures.”