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| Fourth man’s death linked to ‘Superman’ ecstasy batch | Fourth man’s death linked to ‘Superman’ ecstasy batch |
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| A fourth man has died in less than two days from what police fear is a potentially fatal batch of ecstasy being sold on British streets. | A fourth man has died in less than two days from what police fear is a potentially fatal batch of ecstasy being sold on British streets. |
| A temporary drug amnesty has been offered to anyone who surrenders the red or pink tablets of ecstasy, inscribed with a Superman-style “S” in their centre, to a police station, accident and emergency department or fire station. | |
| Police say they are not offering a general drug amnesty but the ecstasy tablets, thought to be to blame for the four deaths and one hospital admission, are “potentially so dangerous we need to remove them from the streets to prevent further deaths”. | |
| Supt Louisa Pepper from Suffolk police said: “Please don’t be worried about any sort of prosecution because we genuinely just want the drugs off the streets. We view this particular drug as especially dangerous and want to prevent further deaths and save lives.” | Supt Louisa Pepper from Suffolk police said: “Please don’t be worried about any sort of prosecution because we genuinely just want the drugs off the streets. We view this particular drug as especially dangerous and want to prevent further deaths and save lives.” |
| The fourth death in Telford on Friday follows the deaths of two young men in Suffolk within hours of each other on Thursday morning, with another admitted to hospital in a serious condition. | The fourth death in Telford on Friday follows the deaths of two young men in Suffolk within hours of each other on Thursday morning, with another admitted to hospital in a serious condition. |
| Gediminas Kulokas, a Lithuanian labourer, died on New Year’s Day – his 24th birthday – after collapsing at his Ipswich home. Kulokas’s 22-year-old friend Donatas was admitted to hospital at the same time in a serious condition after taking the same drug. | Gediminas Kulokas, a Lithuanian labourer, died on New Year’s Day – his 24th birthday – after collapsing at his Ipswich home. Kulokas’s 22-year-old friend Donatas was admitted to hospital at the same time in a serious condition after taking the same drug. |
| Kulokas died less than three hours after another man, 20-year-old John Hocking, also a labourer, who died in nearby Rendlesham, near Woodbridge. | Kulokas died less than three hours after another man, 20-year-old John Hocking, also a labourer, who died in nearby Rendlesham, near Woodbridge. |
| The first victim of the rogue batch of drugs is thought to be a Lithuanian factory worker Eustace Ropas, 22, who died on Christmas Eve at his home, also in Ipswich. | |
| Natasha Mumby, Kulokas’s partner, has described how she desperately tried to resuscitate him after he stopped breathing. | Natasha Mumby, Kulokas’s partner, has described how she desperately tried to resuscitate him after he stopped breathing. |
| “We were at the flat having a few quiet drinks to celebrate New Year’s Eve and his birthday in the early hours,” she said. “I went to bed at 2am and woke up a few times because he and his friend were making a bit of noise. I had no idea that they had been taking drugs. | “We were at the flat having a few quiet drinks to celebrate New Year’s Eve and his birthday in the early hours,” she said. “I went to bed at 2am and woke up a few times because he and his friend were making a bit of noise. I had no idea that they had been taking drugs. |
| “Every time I got up to tell them to keep quiet, they were looking the worse for wear. His friend popped out and when I checked on Gediminas, he was breathing in a funny way. I propped him up and went back to bed,” she said. “I then came back in the lounge because he was not making the breathing noise any more. He was just sitting there not breathing.” | “Every time I got up to tell them to keep quiet, they were looking the worse for wear. His friend popped out and when I checked on Gediminas, he was breathing in a funny way. I propped him up and went back to bed,” she said. “I then came back in the lounge because he was not making the breathing noise any more. He was just sitting there not breathing.” |
| Police believe the drug taken by all five men could have a similar chemical mix to dangerous ecstasy pills with a similar appearance that were in circulation in the Netherlands last month. | Police believe the drug taken by all five men could have a similar chemical mix to dangerous ecstasy pills with a similar appearance that were in circulation in the Netherlands last month. |
| In December, the Dutch Trimbos drug addiction clinic issued a warning about the pills, which have a high concentration of a chemical known as PMMA instead of MDMA, which is the usual main drug component of ecstasy pills. | In December, the Dutch Trimbos drug addiction clinic issued a warning about the pills, which have a high concentration of a chemical known as PMMA instead of MDMA, which is the usual main drug component of ecstasy pills. |
| PMMA is dangerous because the chemical takes longer to work than MDMA. The delay can cause users who do not know they have taken a different variety of ecstasy to overdose because they think their first pills have not worked. | PMMA is dangerous because the chemical takes longer to work than MDMA. The delay can cause users who do not know they have taken a different variety of ecstasy to overdose because they think their first pills have not worked. |
| Dutch media reported on at least two PMMA-related deaths in the Netherlands in 2013. | Dutch media reported on at least two PMMA-related deaths in the Netherlands in 2013. |
| Both drugs are stimulants, causing an energy boost and feelings of affection for other people, but PMMA is far more toxic, with an overdose of just 50mg having potentially fatal consequences. | Both drugs are stimulants, causing an energy boost and feelings of affection for other people, but PMMA is far more toxic, with an overdose of just 50mg having potentially fatal consequences. |
| Harry Shapiro, director of communications at Drugscope, said a possible explanation for the increased use of PMMA and the closely related chemical PMA in ecstasy was a crackdown in Cambodia on the production of safrole, a key ingredient in MDMA production, causing drug manufacturers to turn to other ingredients. | Harry Shapiro, director of communications at Drugscope, said a possible explanation for the increased use of PMMA and the closely related chemical PMA in ecstasy was a crackdown in Cambodia on the production of safrole, a key ingredient in MDMA production, causing drug manufacturers to turn to other ingredients. |
| Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that there were no deaths from PMA or PMMA in 2009 or 2010, but that this jumped to 20 in 2012. By 2013, there were 29 deaths connected to the drugs. | Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that there were no deaths from PMA or PMMA in 2009 or 2010, but that this jumped to 20 in 2012. By 2013, there were 29 deaths connected to the drugs. |
| The Irish drugs website Drugs.ie says that between December 2013 and May last year, six people in Ireland were found to have had PMMA in their systems when they died. | The Irish drugs website Drugs.ie says that between December 2013 and May last year, six people in Ireland were found to have had PMMA in their systems when they died. |
| In 2011 the Scottish Drug and Crime Enforcement Agency released a warning about PMMA after a spate of deaths. | In 2011 the Scottish Drug and Crime Enforcement Agency released a warning about PMMA after a spate of deaths. |
| It was also believed to be the cause of a series of deaths across Europe at around the same time. | It was also believed to be the cause of a series of deaths across Europe at around the same time. |
| Speaking at the time, DI Tommy Crombie, drugs co-ordinator at the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, warned: “PMMA and other harmful substances could be present in many illicit drugs including powders, products sold as legal highs and ecstasy tablets in all sorts of colours and with all sorts of logos. Like all illicit drugs, there is no way to tell what’s in them until it’s too late.” | Speaking at the time, DI Tommy Crombie, drugs co-ordinator at the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, warned: “PMMA and other harmful substances could be present in many illicit drugs including powders, products sold as legal highs and ecstasy tablets in all sorts of colours and with all sorts of logos. Like all illicit drugs, there is no way to tell what’s in them until it’s too late.” |