Storefronts around Tehran’s Grand Bazaar still sell herbal extracts and cheap vitamins, but behind them a quieter trade thrives: fast-acting sedatives that can leave people conscious yet defenseless and often unable to remember what happened.
Rape drugs are on the rise according to research by Iran International into online and plain view sales in the Islamic theocracy, where lack of official enforcement or public awareness campaigns mean the sordid practice continues with few impediments.
To understand how easy it is to obtain these substances, a trusted contact walked the central strip of Naser Khosrow Street posing as someone searching for a strong sedative, then asking for what dealers in Iran call “anesthesia drugs,” a euphemism for rape drugs. The response was immediate.
“This one is good for deep sleep,” a vendor said. “Put this pill in a drink. No taste. They won’t wake up properly for hours.”
A second seller offered a small container of clear liquid. “Three drops are enough for most people. They wake up confused. They don’t remember anything.”
None of the conversations involved hesitation, code words or even whispers. The men spoke as if selling ordinary medication.
Different forms of the same threat
A toxicologist who reviewed Iran International's findings, and requested anonymity for security reasons, said the substances on offer resemble well-known families of predator drugs.
The tablets likely mimic flunitrazepam – better known as Rohypnol or “roofies.”
“These drugs act on the same neural pathways,” she said. “They suppress reflexes and cause memory fragmentation. A person may appear awake and compliant but will have no reliable recollection later.”
They are often mixed with alcoholic drinks, which “makes them significantly more dangerous and, in some cases, life-threatening, she added.
One type, according to her, is Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), which is a central nervous system depressant with no smell and a faintly salty taste that’s easily disguised in drinks.
While the street trade is bold, online trade is nimble. Photos of blister packs and drops are displayed in social media adverts. Cryptocurrency is often encouraged as the preferred payment method.
A small container of liquid now costs less than a two-person meal at a restaurant.
Public outrage
Reports of date-rape drugs circulating in Iran triggered a wave of shock and anger on social media. “Nothing coming out of this Islamic Republic surprises me anymore. What you see is exactly what it produces,” one user wrote on X.
Another warned that even social gatherings feel unsafe now, saying, “When you have to watch your glass every second, maybe nowhere is truly secure.”
A third user put it more bluntly: “Predators don’t hide anymore. These drugs make it easier for them to act in the open.”
Some pointed to cases they believed had already happened. “I know people who woke up with no memory after just one drink,” one user wrote.
Another expressed disgust at the sellers. “How twisted do you have to be to sell something like this? It makes me sick,” read another post.
A safety gap that leaves youth vulnerable
In Europe and North America, awareness campaigns around date-rape drugs are widely promoted.
Some consumer-grade wristbands can detect drugs by changing color when a drop of spiked liquid is applied – one example of the tools young people use to monitor their safety.
But Iran has no comparable infrastructure. No broad educational outreach. No drink-testing tools. No consistent data collection. As a result, self-protection has become the only available shield.
Experts say young people – especially women – should avoid leaving drinks unattended, bring sealed beverages to gatherings and steer clear of parties where they do not know every guest.
The prevention habits are taught widely in the West: always keep your drink with you, use bottles with caps, never accept open drinks, stay with trusted friends, stay alert to unusual tastes or smells and discard anything suspicious.
A market thriving in silence
Back on Naser Khosrow Street, the sellers continue their work unbothered.
The flow of pills and drops moves through daylight crowds as if it were just another line of commerce. For now, predator drugs remain a growing trade in Iran – not because they are hidden, but because no one is stopping them.
The dealers show no sign of caution. Transactions happen in daylight, in the open, with the rhythm of routine business.
Their confidence reflects a reality many in Tehran quietly acknowledge: this market does not survive by hiding in shadows – it survives because no authority is actively interrupting it.
