From Koi to Cocaine – the story of Wesly Broxs
It was an ordinary Friday morning when Wesly Broxs left his home to help a friend. The assignment was simple: bring some Halamid for the pond, as well as some Flubenol to combat a worm infestation. He placed the bags and jars neatly on the passenger seat and even buckled the seat belt. What could go wrong?
But just around the corner from his street: police check. An officer beckons him. “Driver’s license and license plate number please.” As Wesley delves into the glove box, the cop’s eye catches a large bag of white powder. Wesly laughs, “Well, gotta pay for my weekend anyway.”
The joke did not fall on good ground. Wesely was taken out of the car, searched, hands on the roof. His trunk opened – more white substance. The officers thought: bingo. Wesely thought: this is getting out of hand.
From pond remedy to banned substance?
Wesly tried to explain that the powder was simply Halamid, a disinfectant for koi ponds. But its appearance – crystalline white – was unfortunate to say the least. Also in the trunk was Flubenol, which closely resembles cocaine in texture. The agents decided to test it.
Fortunately, a colleague with an understanding of the matter was there. The chlorine smell released upon opening the Halamid quickly confirmed that this was not coke. The quick test confirmed it was a disinfectant. The Flubenol was also tested – not a party drug, but a deworming agent for koi.
“A white powder, a wink, and a police check turned an innocent hobby into a crime thriller.”
Wesley showed some pictures of his impressive koi collection. The officers started laughing. “You got them right, Broxs,” one of them said. “But next time: white powder under your chair or in a jar. For our peace of mind.”
“It brings to mind a similar story by hobbyist Remy, which you can read here on KoiQuestion – “I don’t have a hemp plantation, I’m a koi hobbyist.” There, too, increased energy bills and UV light prompted a raid. Cause? A koi pond with good technology.
But Okay, there are also examples where a Koi pond did give rise to marijuana cultivation under koi pond in Vriescheloo (video)
What are Halamid and Flubenol anyway?
Halamid (Chloramine-T) is a disinfectant widely used in the koi hobby to disinfect nets, filters and pond water. It works against bacterial infections such as Aeromonas and against parasites such as white spot. It has a strong odor and can be irritating when inhaled or in contact with skin and eyes. Use gloves and a mask when using, and store it dry and out of reach of children.
Flubenol is based on flubendazole and is an anthelmintic used against skin and gill flukes. It is usually administered through the feed or dissolved. It is not a drug, but its appearance can be misleading. This drug should also be stored carefully, preferably in original packaging with label, to avoid misunderstandings.
Always have a professional or experienced hobbyist assist you with such agents. Also recently we as KoiQuestion have learned of several situations in which overdosing or incorrect use under certain conditions of e.g. water temperature seemingly small problems can eventually have very large consequences including the death of Koi.
Moral with a grin
What can we learn from Wesly’s adventure? First, that koi hobbyists sometimes end up in unexpected places – and that sometimes the line between passion and panic is only a white powder line thick. In addition, this shows that knowledge about what you are transporting is important, and recognizing danger does not always mean that there is danger.
Wesley himself? Who laughs about it now. “If you want to make it more exciting, just put it under your chair.” But rest assured: the only thing he dealt with was love of koi.
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