7 die as heroin is spiked with elephant drug

Cops fear drug cut with anaesthetics to boost strength

SEVEN people in one town are believed to have been killed by heroin contaminated with an anaesthetic used on elephants.

Police believe batches of the drug in the Barnsley area of South Yorkshire have been cut with the powerful synthetic opioids fentanyl and carfentanyl to make them stronger.

Fentanyl – the drug that killed pop superstar Prince last year – is used to help ease pain after surgery or other medical procedures and is 100 times more potent than street heroin.

But carfentanyl is even stronger and is normally used only on large animals like elephants and bears.

There were alerts on the two drugs in the US last year after a spate of deaths thought to be linked to them. But they had become such popular additives dealers were even offering naloxone, a drug meant to reverse overdoses, to customers buying the super-strength heroin.

South Yorkshire Police said the latest death was reported last Wednesday. Two people died on April 20 and 21 while three men and a woman were found dead at separate addresses on April 14. A spokesman for the force said: “We are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances surrounding each death and continue to explore whether there are any connections between them.”

But assistant chief constable Tim Forber said previous warnings in the region indicated batches of heroin had been contaminated.

He said: “Officers are working closely with investigative teams to piece together the information we have gathered as part of our enquiries.

“We continue to work with our partners in public health to raise awareness of the risks to drug users and I would urge anyone who has concerns, or has taken a substance and feels unwell, to please seek medical advice immediately.”