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Police in Queensland in north-eastern Australia have discovered a shipment of counterfeit medicines containing the deadly opioid protonitazene. In some cases, the drugs were found in the form of powders, liquids, and other dosage forms, 9news report.
According to law enforcers, they found a batch of pills that tested positive for protonitazene. The concentration of the drug was so high that even small doses could lead to death by overdose.
The police launched an investigation after it was reported that at least two people died after taking the counterfeit drugs. Investigations have revealed that shipments of pills containing the deadly drug have been found throughout Australia in a variety of forms, from tablets to liquids.
Drugs disguised as other drugs
As Queensland health officials have pointed out, pills containing opioids or other illegal substances are often disguised as painkillers. Quite often lethal drugs are disguised as Xanax, which is widely available in the US, but hard to find in Australia. Xanax is also used as a recreational drug.
Health officials have urged people to be careful about the drugs they consume, as they may not even know the drug is counterfeit. And the potency found in the pills can exceed that of fentanyl and other powerful opioids. Anyone feeling the typical symptoms of an opioid overdose, including breathing problems, confusion, or an erratic pulse, should seek medical attention immediately.
The pills, which contain the deadly drug, may have been produced both outside and in Australia. It has recently been reported that a major drug laboratory in Sydney has been shut down. A police raid seized several hundred kilograms of illegal substances and their precursors, as well as $200,000 in cash.