Scopolamine Robberies in Quito Already 36% Above 2025
SECURITY · ECUADOR
Key Facts
- —The country Ecuador, in the Andean capital Quito. The country uses the US dollar, so no currency conversion applies.
- —What happened Police counted 593 robberies with incapacitating drugs in Quito from January to September 2026, 36% more than in all of 2025 (El Universo, 2 October).
- —The numbers 435 such cases in 2025; about 4,000 street robberies of people in 2026 so far; 128 cases confirmed by toxicology; 742 complaints nationwide (Teleamazonas, 25 September).
- —What it means for you Most victims are men drugged in bars, nightclubs or after dating-app meetings. Police advise watching drinks and seeking hospital tests quickly.
- —Still open How many cases go unreported, and whether the year-end total confirms the rise. The police figures have not been published in full.
Scopolamine robberies in Quito, Ecuador, have already passed last year’s total, according to police figures. From January to September 2026, police recorded 593 robberies in which victims were drugged first.
That is 36% more than the 435 cases recorded in all of 2025. The head of the police Anti-Crime Brigade, Eduardo Serrano Guanín, gave the figures to the Guayaquil daily El Universo on 2 October.
What the police figures show
Scopolamine robberies are a fraction of overall crime. Serrano said Quito has logged an estimated 4,000 robberies of people this year. About one in seven involved stunning the victim with drugs.
In 81% of these cases the victims are men. Most attacks begin in bars and nightclubs, often after a first meeting arranged online.
The comparison sets nine months against a full year, so the final 2026 gap is likely to be wider. The figures have not been independently confirmed or published in full.
Scopolamine is mostly a label now
Ecuadorians still call all of these scopolamine robberies, saying “me escopolaminaron” (they drugged me with scopolamine). Serrano said the plant-derived drug has largely fallen out of use.
Gangs now mix prescription sedatives such as clonazepam, diazepam, alprazolam and midazolam into alcohol. The mixture acts faster and can be fatal.
In one Quito case reported by Primicias, a man lost about US$8,000 after two women he met on a dating app visited his home. Tests on the drinks found amphetamines and benzodiazepines.
How the gangs choose their targets
Colonel Dorian Balladares, national director of investigations of the Judicial Police, told Teleamazonas that gangs study public social-media profiles. They look for signs of wealth such as travel, cars or expensive venues.
Women in the group often handle the first meeting, he said. Others then take the unconscious victim to cash machines, make transfers or empty the home.
Police say some bands live in Quito but now operate in other cities after public warnings. On 18 September police arrested three women and three men after a victim in Ambato was left in critical condition, Primicias reported.
What police and courts can do
Only 128 cases this year have been confirmed by toxicology tests, Serrano said. Many victims reach hospitals that cannot run the tests, so the drugging cannot be proved.
Police protocol now requires blood or urine samples under chain of custody when someone is found drowsy or unconscious. A proven drugging is an aggravating factor in court.
Under the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code (COIP), such robberies carry five to seven years in prison. Serious injury raises it to seven to ten years, and a death to 22–26 years.
Serrano advised people to keep drinks in sight, share little personal data online and seek a hospital at any suspicion. For wider context, see Ecuador Explained: The Country, the Security Crisis, the Economy and What to Watch and Noboa Extends Ecuador Security Crackdown as 2026 Homicides Strain Investment.
What Is Not Yet Known
The police have not released a monthly breakdown of scopolamine robberies or the method behind the 593 figure. It is unclear how many victims never report the crime.
It is also unclear whether the national count of 742 complaints uses the same definition as the Quito figure.
Sources: El Universo (2 October 2026, figures from the National Police Anti-Crime Brigade); Teleamazonas (25 September 2026, Judicial Police); Primicias (18 September 2026, National Police).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief