Area apartment raided by DEA

Federal authorities arrested two people Wednesday during a raid on a Newport Beach apartment, finding gallons of a drug police say is sometimes used in committing date rape, authorities said.

In an investigation with Westminster police, agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration found three gallons of the depressant GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, which is naturally produced in small amounts by the human central nervous system, DEA authorities said. Inside the apartment in the 800 block of West 15th Street, authorities also found small quantities of cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamines and ketamine, according to a news release.

“On average, the street sale price of [GHB] is anywhere from $600 to $1,000 per gallon,” DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen said.

“Primarily it’s used in the club scene and also known as one of the date-rape drugs,” Pullen said. The “clear, odorless, salty liquid can be mixed with a drink and not detected, and alcohol amplifies the effects. Basically, it sedates you and removes your” inhibitions.

The DEA has refused to release any information on the suspects, who were still in custody at press time Wednesday, Pullen said, adding that the investigation is in its initial stages.