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© Stefano
Rellandini / Reuters
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After having one for the
road – a cup of tea from a local Peruvian food shop – a bus driver from an
Italian city unexpectedly tested positive for cocaine and barely escaped being
fired, local media reported. The 37-year-old bus driver from Genoa, named
Roberto, tested positive for cocaine while undergoing a routine checkup, La Repubblica reported. However,
considering Roberto’s spotless 10-year reputation at the Genovese transport
authority, the company doctor decided to help him challenge the findings and
prove his innocence.
RT report continues:
Roberto,
who doesn’t do drugs, had no idea why the test was positive, according to La Repubblica.
After
some thought, it turned out that the only thing that could have messed up the
results was a Peruvian “delisse alla coca” tea that Roberto often bought at a
local store selling ethnic products. A day before the test, he had consumed a
large cup of the brew reputed to energize and increase alertness, to help his
concentration on the road, Roberto said.
The
mystery of the herbal tea was unveiled when the doctor asked Roberto to bring
the teabags to his office. He made a brew and the next day also tested positive
for cocaine.
Italian
food police were then immediately notified. An expert report showed that the
delisse alla coca tea contains a small amount of cocaine leaves and cocaine
hydrochloride.
Surprisingly,
the shop owner had all the necessary documentation. He had been buying the
product from a wholesale supplier in Milan who had been purchasing it for years
and had never had problems at customs.
The
product is now regarded as “potentially dangerous” as it may affect people’s
perception and is banned from sale.
In Peru delisse alla coca
tea is a popular brew, especially loved by farmers who work in higher-lying
regions and drink it to fight symptoms of altitude sickness.
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