Bubble tea is an addiction in itself.
Whenever I walk by a LiHo or Gong Cha, it’s like invisible forces are trying to suck me in, telling me to buy boba.
But it’s the soft, chewy boba pearls that are the most delectable to me, and you might share the same sentiment.
Sorry to burst your bubble tea though, because the reason why bubble tea is so addictive might not be what you thought it was:
The Main Reason Why Bubble Tea is Addictive & It’s Not Due to the Pearls
All that aside, some Malaysians are levelling the addiction up by using a super not-so-secret but very addictive ingredient… drugs.
M’sian Drug Dealers Put Ecstasy Into BBT & Sell Them For S$100
According to Shin Chew Daily, the drug dealers would sneakily make use of used cups from famous and reputable bubble tea companies like The Alley to throw customers off.
Or maybe the customer knew that these bubble teas weren’t actually from that particular brand…
This is how it went down.
A customer would order the bubble tea by communicating to the drug dealers through a device.
They would then make their order and the dealers would mix the drinks with a secret concoction and promptly deliver it.
The bubble tea was aptly called “Poison Milk Tea”.
Just look at the rows of drugs.
The spiked bubble teas or “Poison Milk Tea” were priced at around RM250(~S$82) per cup. Pretty steep for bubble tea wouldn’t you say?
Penang Police’s Drug Crime Unit Busted Them
It isn’t clear how long the questionable business lasted, but it definitely did not last forever.
Penang police force soon found out about their operations and arrested them. They seized over 131 packets of milk tea powder and 27 bottles of spiked drinks.
Four cars, four handbags, two watches and some money were also seized.
The total value of the confiscated items amounted to a whopping RM462,250 (~S$153,323).
The Penang police drug crime unit first arrested two men in a parked car along a Langkawi slip road on 10 January.
The two were busy mixing their concoction at the time. More arrests were made at a condominium in Bukit Tinggi involving two men and three women.
I think it’s wise to just stick to our regular bubble tea for now. I can attest that it’s addictive enough without the ecstasy.