♪
[ Inhales deeply ]
[ Indistinct conversation ]
Hamilton: The smell ofbure
brings me back to 2013whe,
in the companyof a gangst.
[ Laughs ]
...a dealer, and a fewwhi.
I've been fascinated bypss
my whole life.
I love to study their chemistry.
And my work has allowed me
to investigate extraordinary<br.
Yet there are still mysteries<b.
But it was here that I found<brl
that would lead me to one of ths
I've ever encountered.
[ Indistinct conversation ]
This is the story ofthe S.
♪
[ Siren wails ]
♪ Oh, ah, oh, ah,oh, ah, ♪
I've always been fascinated<br ,
a drug that was once solds
under the brand name Quaalude.
But it's a difficult drugh
because it's allbut disap,
with one notable exception --
South Africa.
I traveled there in 2013
because it's the last place<br .
What I found transcendedt.
My pleasure. you.
I learned the unique history ofe
is inextricably linked to.
But I'll go into that later.
After my first visit in 2013,<bs
and was surprised to find
they containednot only me,
but also diphenhydramine,
a combination that mimicsl
pharmaceutical formulation sold.
I was surprisedthe manufas
had such dedicationto tra.
Three years later,I decidn
to fully understandthe mee
distributed on the streets.
I started in Soweto,
one of the first placesI .
What's going on?
Hamilton.right now.
Yeah..
Yeah, I'd like to seethe .
♪
Because Mandraxis sold as,
it requires special preparation.
[ Glass shatters ]
First, a glass bottleis bk
and stuffed witha cotton .
The filter is coveredwitho
and low-grade cannabis.
A Mandrax tablet is wrapped<br .
And the powder is transferred<b,
which is referred toas a .
When methaqualoneis taken,
the user experiencesmuscln
and a sense ofcalm disinh.
But when the drug is smoked,
its rapid onsetand increay
produce a rushing euphoria,<br ,
total loss of consciousness.
Hamilton:How do you feel ?
The way the drug'scurrenta
would be unrecognizable to<br /.
♪
Americans recall Quaalude,
a drug sold bypharmaceutis
as a nonaddictive alternative<b.
It was a relaxing drug,a ,
that promoted danceand un.
But it became too popular,
and restrictions on salean
were soon followedby totan
in the United States.
Prohibition rarely dissuades<br,
but methaqualonewas a rar.
The high dose required for usert
placed an extraordinary burden<,
who needed large quantities<br d
precursor chemicals in order<br.
Some people believe the endurine
in South Africais a resuls
imposed on the apartheid regimey
in a state of economicand.
Others believeit was a prt
of secretgovernment exper.
Have any of you all heard?
What?
Wouter Basson.
It's a drug or a what?
He was a doctor.
Dr. Basson.
He was a doctor peoplethox
onto the streetin South A.
Never heard of him.
We are not followingthe h.
We are just smoking.
Hamilton: If there's one name<by
of South African Mandrax,.
In 1999, Basson was put on triat
in a secret chemicaland bm
code-named "Project Coast."
Basson claims to haveweaps
like MDMA, LSD,
and most prominently,Mand.
He planned to use these drugs<bs
in the event ofan anti-ap.
Yet the exact nature ofBae
remains uncertain.
Thanks a lot.I appreciate.
It was great meeting you.
Thanks a lot.
[ Typing ]
"Dearest Wouter.
I am an American journalist<br y
about the dismissalof youn
for a recusal hearing.
I think the charges against youe
than a witch hunt,and I'dy
that allows yourperspectie
to reachthe international.
I had the pleasure of attending3
and was impressed bythe c"
"When can weschedule a ti?
Your admirer,
Hamilton Morris."
You think "your admirer"i?
Your friend?
On the outskirtsof Johann,
I met with Jenny Wild,a hr
who stood up againstthe at
to expose the drug research<br .
Wild: Project Coast wasa .
It involved a questionof ,
or strategieshe reduction --
of South Africa.ack population
Probably the most serious.
And chemicals --drugs, na-
were deliberately synthesized<be
in order toincapacitate p,
the tragedy being that they wer.
you must remember apartheid
really didn't haveany scrl
when it came to its survival.
on in this countryngs that went
that makes the Nazis, frankly,
appear likea Sunday schoo.
Beyond the weaponizationo,
Project Coast scientistscd
super-wolf guard dogs,keps
to poison political opponents,
and planned to administers
to black women under the guise<.
When I started as an advocate,<t
with people who werebecom.
Addicts went from nullto 0
over a very shortspace ofe
of apartheid.ed wire fence
Mandrax abuse isa way of ,
a ghetto created bythe apt
as a home for the so-called<br "
of greater Cape Town.
I traveled thereto meet w,
a Mandrax dealerI'd befri.
Hey.are you, my friend?
Hey. Good to see you.
It's nice I'mmeeting you .
Yeah.
Is this the same place?
You had so many people here<br .
Yeah.
Where was the window where<br /?
They're coming to buythro.
That's the financial director<b.
Hamilton:You don't do tha?
How you feeling?
Doing all right?
[ Humming ]
No, no, no, no.
Ha ha ha ha.
You see the smoke?
Faried: This is a good thing fo.
For high blood,for low bl.
Take the pain away.
I'm 63 now.
63.
♪
Hamilton: How do you feel?
Do you feel sleepy?
If they feel like this,th.
They mustn't sleep.They m.
Hamilton: The user feelsan
where their body goes slack,
and they may brieflylose .
So you're coming hereever.
But they rapidlyregain the
and within minutesare con.
It's this combination ofrn
that makes smoked methaqualone<.
Woman: Hamilton, you okay?
I'm good, yeah.
I think I'm getting a little bi.
[ Laughs ]I can see.
Hmm.
[ Groans ]
♪
Thank you.I appreciate th.
We're gonna go with some abalon.
Yeah.
Do you think I should poach?
Oh!
What, abalone?erous?
Yeah.
What's dangerous.
What's dangerous?
Yeah.
♪
Hamilton: A speciesof Soue
known as Haliotis midae
has an iridescent shellwi,
though which water escapes<br /.
The shell protects the gill<br ,
but not all,marine predat.
This endangered species is<br /r
marine delicacyin the cou.
♪
As savage windsblew over ,
I traveled to a nearbyseat
where I arranged a dinners
who might have some insight<br n
between this sea snail
and a discontinuedpharmac.
Man: Welcome to Panama Jack's.
I'll be your waiterthis e.
What can I get you guys to eat?
I think we shouldhave the.
Yeah.
Cheers.
Enjoy.
Hamilton: Though this restaurant
for legally harvested abalone,<t
the other sideof the abal.
And then you get to taket.
Oh!
Wow.
What do you mean?
Do that first.
You want to lead the prayer?
Okay? all right.
Thank you, God,for this t,
whose flesh is...very rard
but supposedlyvery delici.
And thank you for granting me<by
to speak with my new friend<br .
It is going to be veryenj.
Thanks, amen.
But as I say...
It's pretty good.
Mmm.
So I've read that Mandrax,
or that the precursor istx
or exchange for abalone.
Could you tell me aboutth?
There you go,there you go.
Hamilton:South African ab.
Instead, the snail isexpos
abalone consumption capital,<br.
The delicate flavor and chewy<be
is considered a status symbol
and renowned for its supposed<b.
The Chinese valueSouth Afe
as much as South Africans value
ChineseN-acetylanthranili.
With each buyer possessing<br /e
in their respective countries,
a mutually beneficialbart.
So I went to meet with the men<s
of their mostaphrodisiaca.
Hey.ome.
How you doing, my friend?
Good, how are you?
I am fine, my friend.
You're just in time,my fr.
That's where youput the a?
Yes, this is the one that.
Oh, wow.
Speed up.Speed up, guys.
There we go.
Are we all set?
Okay.
♪
Hamilton:With widespread y
and few opportunitiesfor ,
many citizens of Haut Baye
to plunder a precious shellfish
that grows right ontheir .
Do you have any friendsth?
How do people diepoaching?
What's the most amazing thing<b?
Mermaids?
How many times have yoube?
Seven times?
It's very dark.
[ Birds screeching ]
He's about toget in the w.
He's hoping that he'llfin.
We'll see what happens.
♪
Hamilton: Above the water.
Below, two divers on a quest<br.
♪
Haliotis midae is a<br /e
that requires a decadeto e
and almost as longto achi.
In the wild,it lives 30 yr
if it isn'tdiscovered by .
♪
The night was a success.
[ Indistinct conversation ]
Okay.
The poachers were able toe
and returned home to celebrate.
♪
Hamilton:Do you ever trad?
Yes, with a Chinese guy.
Wow.
[ Inhaling deeply ]
Feeling relaxed?
Yes.
♪
[ Inhales ]
Hamilton:A combination ofn
have ensured that Mandrax,
despite the fact that it's<br /.
Whoa!
[ Laughter ]
Hamilton: I've seen people<br /g
five or six consecutive hits,
but that was only one hit.
It seems like somereally .
Yeah.
You okay?
Yeah, I'm...
You okay?
Where did you get cut?
Where did youhit yourself?
[ Singing ]
Hamilton:Less than three ,
he was borderline unconscious,<.
Now he's singing and dancing<br.
I don't know if that'sa g.
♪
I'm really curiouswhat's s
or how strong they are.
One goal is certainly to enter<.
I've always wanted to see how<b.
Hamilton: Today is the day
that Nelson Mandelawas re.
There are rumors thatWoutd
to poison him with a substance<r
so that even afterhe was ,
he would be unable to
cause the downfallof the .
So I imagine thatWouter By
celebrating this daythat n
the Truth and Reconciliation<br,
which brought to lightalls
and all of the unethical medical
and scientific researchhe,
and I can imagine himbeind
that I called himon this .
Woman:The subscriber y>
Please try again later.
The subscriber you have dial>
Please try again later.
The subscriber you have dial>
Please try again later.
[ Beep ]
All right.
I'm glad I thoughtanxioust
for an hour before doing it.
♪
Because Wouter Basson isn't<br s
or e-mails,I'm unable to s
I need for my investigation.
What happened to the two metrice
that were manufacturedfor?
I headed to the South African<be
to see what informationI g
from the remaining documents<br.
I think we're going to want a<b.
The trial of Wouter Basson was<s
in the history of South Africa.
There are thousandsof pags
dedicated toinvestigating.
Even though it's in Afrikaans,<t
the names of so many poisons<br.
Thallium in bottles,VX, s,
capsules of sodium cyanide,
botulism in a beer can.
One baboon fetus.
There's evidence that a lot of<.
There's a lot of evidencet
that it wasn't being used as<brn
or a crowd control device,<br /h
an analytical chemistnamel
who is responsible foranae
that was producedunder Pr.
♪
Pleased to meet you again.
Good to meet you.
You can either view Basson<br /t
that he did utmoststruction,
to fulfill his mission.
His mission was to set up a<br .
But maybethere was excess.
Maybe he did thingsfor pe.
Again, it's -- it's not --<br /.
I've tested chemicalsthatd
of Project Coast.mantling
forensic scientist in 1997,
to test these substances.
♪
I saw a lot ofbrown cardbs
industrial-scale chemicals,
lots of it.
So I sampled the materials,<br -
yes, these materials that were<b
of the old governmentof Sa
could be usedto make meth.
to make at leastcient chemicals
3.5 million tablets,
and the methaqualonewas os
that was manufactured with<br /.
Now, if you think about it,
how can you control an unruly<b?
You cannot fly over them
the methaqualone over the crowd.
getting the crowd... start by
hooked on methaqualone.
And if they arehooked on ,
will become a more docile crowd.
And on top of that,
Project Coast wasn'tmanufe
in a capacity that seemsie
in the conventionalcrowd-.
They were pressing itinto.
I cannot confirm on that.
into tablets or not. made it
If it's manufacturedinto ,
then it's manufacturedfor.
Wouter Basson claimsto has
for producing weaponizedms
that he would load intogr,
yet the idea of a grenades
has left most scholarsof ,
unless the weaponized tablets
were intendedfor human co.
♪
Chandre Gould is a leading<br /,
and her book "Secrets and Lies"t
on the crimes and subsequent<br.
There is a very strongsugt
the Mandrax was putinto t.
putting it into tablet form
isn't consistent with using it<.
It's very difficult to know<br s
made their way intothe bl,
their way into the black market
in South Africa or elsewhere,
so there's no clear indication<.
One of the characteristics
weapons program and biological
is, in fact, the amount of<br /d
to decide what was donean.
Plausible deniabilitywas o
every aspectof this progr.
And I think that is one of<br /t
so difficultto unravel th.
Basson: It's very simple.
They must just show mewha.
That's easy.
All they need to do is bring ony
that was either damagedan,
and I live with it.
But nobody can do that.
I mean, it's been 20 years<br /,
and there's not a single scratce
on anybody thatcould be p,
so who did I damage and how?
Hamilton: Basson'smethaqus
are decades in the past,yf
the most widely usedsynth.
In order to explainthis s,
I had to findthe people re
for manufacturing it --
the cooks.
Hamilton: On my last visit<br /,
I went looking fora Mandr.
I started withthe street s
and then moved up the chain<br .
Then played an aggressivel
with the dealers'dealer's,
then lost, then won.
Then lost again.
Then won.
Then finally was introduced<br y
how to sell Mandrax,but h.
Yeah.he money.
Did you ever suspectdurind
when you were first learning<brn
could have been involved?
And assuming these guys
were part ofthe apartheid,
if that's whatyou're sugg-
That's interesting.
I started talking chemistry<br ,
and he invited me tohave ,
even showing me some oftht
his cook would usethe fol.
Are these guysscary kinds,
or is it likea pretty cal?
It's not calm.Oh, they ar.
Yeah.
I woke up at 6:00the next,
prepared to see the labI',
but instead was met witha.
Yeah.So we came here to se
a clandestine methaqualone lab,h
we've scheduled itfor a c,
they said thatthe chemisty
and instead they wanted us to<b.
♪ Understand that no manb♪
Hamilton: We've already shot<br.
Now we're shooting a scene
where we walk downthe str,
singing the lyrics in unison.
Do you think we could do that<b,
or did you want to do it now,<b.
I was -- I wanted to uset-
Oh, okay, I see.Okay, so .
Let's do it now.
♪
[ Laughter ]
[ Engine revving ]
He wants to incorporatethe
into the music video,and n
for us to do thisbefore wo
the methaqualone lab,so...
Oh, man.
All right.
I was closing my jacket
so that if the carbursts ,
that I might havesome pro.
[ Laughter ]
[ Indistinct conversation ]
[ Engine revs ]
Whoa!
Hold on! ]
Whoa!
[ Engine revs ]
[ Tires squeal ]
♪
[ Bang ]
Our tire just exploded.
It's really fun.
[ Crowd cheering ]
[ Honking horn ]
[ Clapping ]
[ Laughs ]
Like an amazing carnival ride.
I really enjoyed it.I'd l.
Just when I began to expect<br e
to get a free music video,
I found myselfin the backk
with was loadedwith one km
of N-acetylanthranilic acid
and a liter ofortho-tolui,
the same precursorsthat ad
and exchanged for abalone.
We're on our wayto the Ma.
The chemist is getting pH strip,
and I guess once he has those,
it will be timeto start t.
♪
Hamilton: We were secretly taken
to finally see the lab.
♪
Yeah, maybe, yeah.You don-
you -- you don't have toc.
You can just do halfor so.
Man: Yeah?
♪
Do you enjoy cooking it?
All right,so show me how .
Yeah.
And are you worriedabout ?
while it's cooking?from it now
the ortho-toluidine?s toxic,
It's not good for you.
Yeah. was blood in your --
Yeah. in your urine?
You know it's -- you know it ca?
Okay, no.ancer.
Though the mechanismof thn
is yet to be firmly established,
it seems that inside the pot,<bd
200 degrees Celsius,the rn
the near-equal molar quantitiese
and N-acetylanthranilic acid<br,
initiated by lone pair electron,
which generatesa zwitterie
that, after a seriesof prs
from the ammonium cationa,
allows oxoniumto leave as.
The water is removed by heat,
driving an otherwise-reversible,
and the amodine intermediate<brs
a concerted cyclization,pe
after an additionalprotonr
and the loss ofa second o,
producing methaqualone.
The smell is very strong.
You can smell theortho-to.
The cook is currentlyboilr
before he transfersthe re.
Smells like ortho-toluidine,
which smells likeburning ,
which smells like cancer.
It's a cancery smell,I'd .
He's about to preparemethe
with this bucket ofaqueou.
That's a smell I like.
Yeah. you itchy?
Hmm.
Do you ever smokethe mate?
The cook just added
a concentratedsodium hydrn
to the crude reaction mixture
that's liberatingthe methe
as well asortho-toluidine,
and it's boilingand it's .
What is the stepafter thi?
What comes after this?
To what?
Does this look good?
Are you happy with the way<br /?
♪
Something very interesting<br /.
He had the crudereaction e
of the hydrochloride salt.
He added aqueoussodium hy.
It was a paste.
There was some difficulty,
and almost spontaneously,
the mixture solidifiedint.
What pH do youwant it to ?
Seven.
What is it now?
He's now filtering theneu,
which is around pH seven,.
This is pH seven, right?
Yeah.
Is that a special pillowcase<br?
[ Chuckles ]Yeah, yeah.
Why is that?
Before you wereworking th,
did you have other jobs?
No.
[ Chuckles ]
So you went fromstealing .
...organic synthesis.
This is about 800 gramsof.
You filter the freebaseth.
Because it's insolublein ,
it remained inthe pillowce
while all ofthe other rea-
I hope --washed through t.
800 grams is 4,000 doses.
It's ready to be pressedi.
♪
As sodium N-acetyl anthranilaten
and up the great sewage ducts on
and across the gillsof whn
in the coastal watersof S,
I felt a sense of gratitude<br d
and a new-found appreciation<br.
Wouter Basson continues to<br /y
and has started a new career as.
The ruthlessness of it all<br /.
♪