Serial rapist used GHB to drug victims before sexual assault

LONDON: Serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga, who lured almost 200 men to his Manchester flat and sexually assaulted them, relied on GHB to drug his victims so he could prey on them while they were unconscious.

Sinaga was jailed for a minimum of 30 years on Monday, earning him the title of “most prolific rapist in

British legal history”.

But what exactly is the drug that helped him carry out his horrific acts?

GHB (gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter that primarily comes in liquid form, which is then measured out with a syringe or pipette and mixed into a non-alcoholic drink. It’s a separate but very similar drug to GBL (gamma-butyrolactone), a substance sold legally as an industrial solvent which, once ingested, effectively becomes GHB in the body.

In the 1990s it was introduced as a dietary supplement for bodybuilders. It became much more popular as a party drug due to its euphoriainducing side effects that were similar to MDMA or Ecstasy.

It has since declined in popularity partially due its dangerously narrow dosing range, which gave GHB its reputation as a “date rape drug”, a substance used to spike drinks.

It is also odourless, colourless and hard to detect when mixed with a flavoured soft or alcoholic drink.

GBL can be bought in large quantities online for about £70 (RM377) a litre, reports The Mirror. This means anyone wanting to buy GBL in order to use it as the drug GHB could get their hands on it quite easily. – Daily Star