Amid rising insecurity, Quito is facing a new pattern of robberies and disappearances allegedly linked to the use of chemical substances. Ecuador recorded 60 involuntary disappearances associated with scopolamine between January and July, while the capital reported 297 such robberies through August, compared with 181 in 2025.
Pablo Llanes, 29, disappeared in Quito, Ecuador, on July 29 and was found two days later in Baños, a city located about 175 kilometers from the capital.
His father, former assemblyman Henry Llanes, said his son had been a victim of scopolamine, although the substance could not later be identified through testing because too much time had passed.
The young man was found disoriented, without his shoes or other belongings, and was unable to recall what had happened in the preceding days. In another case, a 33‑year‑old man left his workplace in Sangolquí, a town near Quito, on the night of August 21 to return home by taxi, but his family lost contact with him and launched a search that led to his discovery two days later, wandering in a disoriented state.
During that time, the passwords to his bank accounts were changed, transfers were made, and cash withdrawn, according to relatives, while he was unable to explain how he ended up in the place where he was found. The local press has reported on these and other cases, which have raised alarm about how this substance works and how criminals are using it.
In that context, Ecuadorian authorities reported 60 involuntary disappearances between January andJuly linked to the alleged use of scopolamine, including 29 cases in Quito, according to the Interior Ministry.
Most of the cases involved men, and the median age of the victims was 28.
The figures, along with reports of people found disoriented and far from the last place they were seen, have once again put scopolamine—popularly known as ‘burundanga’—under the spotlight.
In recent weeks, Prensa Latina has observed numerous people beginning to wear face masks again, especially in the southern part of the city.
According to some, the fear is not of contracting Covid‑19 or another respiratory virus, but of being drugged, although masks have not been proven to offer protection against contamination. Byron Flores, head of the Operational Department of the Eugenio Espejo Police District, said that as of August 25, 2026, 297 cases of robberies involving chemical substances had been recorded, compared with 181 during the same period the previous year.
The officer explained that these substances may include ketamine and benzodiazepines, in addition to scopolamine, which can enter the body primarily orally, when mixed with drinks or food.
It can also be absorbed through the mucous membranes, although specialists note that casual contact with objects or paper does not, on its own, cause intoxication.
According to Enrique Terán, a scholar at the College of Health at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, scopolamine can cause anterograde amnesia, a condition in which a person retains earlier memories but has difficulty recalling events after exposure. Although in several cases it has not been possible to determine the substance used, scopolamine, or burundanga, has become a new source of fear for Ecuadorians, who are facing a nationwide security crisis. PL
(Translated by Natasha Greenidge) – Photos: Pixabay
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