PSNI seize pills and issue poly-drug use warning after overdoses in …

A large quantity of pills have been seized by police as a warning over poly-drug use was issued following overdoses in Belfast.

At the end of July there were reports of a ‘bad batch’ of illegal drugs within Belfast and now a large quantity of pills has been seized, which have since been submitted to Forensic Science Northern Ireland for testing.

Police said on Monday, August 7, officers were alerted to a theft that had previously occurred, at a premises on Ormeau Road, Belfast. Officers in attendance were able to confirm the identity of the suspect, and made an arrest.

The suspect was found to be in possession of a quantity of pills, suspected to be illegal drugs. Follow up searches recovered a large quantity of similar pills, which have since been submitted to FSNI for testing. A 34 year old man has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.

On Wednesday, police and the Public Health Agency issued a warning of the dangers of drug misuse following the searches which lead to the seizures.

Images of the drugs seized by the PSNI Images of the drugs seized by the PSNI

Superintendent Amanda Ford said: “All illegal drugs are unlicensed and unregulated, meaning the component parts and strength of each pill can vary even within a batch. No drugs are safe and it is often the mix of several pills and/or substances which results in unimaginable damage and an increased risk of overdose and death of the user. As such, our focus is not limited to any one drug."

In the 2022/23 financial year, Belfast District had a 21.8% increase of recorded drug offences. There were 8% more arrests and 12.4% more seizures of suspected drugs. In the 12 months from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, there were 8,934 drug seizure incidents recorded in Northern Ireland. In the same period there were 3,340 drug-related arrests.

Superintendent Ford said: “It is important to recognise that drug and alcohol use can be symptoms of underlying societal problems and that law enforcement is only one aspect of our collaborative response. As a Police Service we will continue to play our part to prevent the importation and supply of illicit and counterfeit drugs by proactively investigating those Organised Crime Groups who supply them.

"We have also invested and contributed to multi-agency initiatives to tackle homelessness, addiction to alcohol and/or drugs, poor mental and physical health, and offending behaviour, in Belfast, aiming to support recovery, resettlement and social inclusion of vulnerable people.

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References

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