NI man robbed of life savings after drink spiked with zombie drug ‘Devil’s Breath’

Kevin McCaffrey, a singer songwriter, who has been teaching in Cali, Columbia revealed his horrific experience of the zombie drug ‘Devil’s Breath’ or Scopolamine.

Kevin (35) believes his drink was spiked by the drug before he was robbed of his life savings, 60 million pesos or around $15,000, while on a trip to Cartagena at the beginning of October.

Originally from Portadown’s Woodside Green where his parents, Monica and Sean still live, Kevin moved to Columbia to pursue a career in teaching.

He had gone to Cartagena for a couple of days to see a friend. On their first night out, the pair were approached by a couple of girls. One asked Kevin if he would like to meet up and he gave her his number.

The next day Kevin stayed on at the hotel after his friend left. Kevin explained he has travelled extensively throughout Columbia on his own without incident for years. “I wanted to do some writing on the beach and make some videos.”.

He said the girl he met send messages on WhatApp and they had an online chat before agreeing to meet up.

Kevin said he is experienced and careful so the original plan was to meet the girl at his hotel for dinner and then go for a walk. When she arrived the hotel refused her entry due to her temporary ID so the pair went for a walk. They bought a drink from a street vendor and a friend of the girl’s came to sit with them.

“That is literally the last thing I remember. The next thing I remember, hours later, I was totally disoriented, dizzy, nauseous in the back of a taxi,” said Kevin, adding that he managed to pay the driver with some cash he had left in his hotel room. His phone, cards and cash from his wallet had gone.

He also discovered all his money had been stolen from his account - 60 million pesos. “I am a teacher and that was ten years of savings and it was just gone,” he said, who is unhappy at the response of his bank and the local police.

Though shaken by what happened, Kevin is determined to remain positive.

“I have been waking up with a sense of relief that nothing more serious happened. Scopolamine is a very very serious drug, it kills people, people end up in comas.”

Kevin, a former pupil at St Columbus PS, the Presentation Convent, and St Patrick’s College in Armagh, hopes to use the experience for his music and is planning on making a documentary. “I want to encourage people to be very careful when visiting Cartagena.”

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