ROGUE E TABLET NOW THREATENING LIVES OF IRISH DRUG USERS

A rogue ecstasy tablet linked to the deaths of drug users around the world
could soon be on sale in Ireland.

The deadly drug has already claimed the lives of users in Germany and other
parts of Europe, as well as the US and Australia, and the Garda Drug Squad
fears it will soon be on sale in Ireland.

"Almost all the ecstasy sold here comes from Holland. If dodgy tablets are
being made there, it is only a matter of time before they become available
here," a drug squad officer said.

The drug is a variant of the very common Mitsubishi ecstasy tablet, which is
manufactured illegally in dubious conditions, with no quality control.

The tablet has been dubbed Mitsubishi because it carries a three-diamond
logo similar to the multi-national company, with which it is in no way
connected. Other ecstasy tables have logos from other well known car makes,
such as Rolls Royce and Volkswagen.

"When people take the drug, it appears to have a weaker reaction than normal
ecstasy tablets. The user then takes another tablet in order to get a better
rush or high," a UK police spokeswoman said.

"This can cause a toxic reaction, which can lead to a dramatic increase in
temperature and very dangerous side-effects. In some cases overseas, there
have been deaths linked to this variant of the Mitsubishi ecstasy tablet.

"We have not seized any of this type of tablet to date, but we are keen to
warn people who may be using Ecstasy that there is an increased danger with
this particular type of drug."

The Irish Drug Squad share the concerns of their UK counterparts and claim
ecstasy users can never know what concentration of active ingredient is in
the illegal narcotic they purchase from pushers.

Police describe the tablets as white, 7mm in diameter and 5mm in width, with
the Mitsubishi logo on one side and usually a central score mark on the
opposite side. A police spokesperson said there is no foolproof way of
detecting the potentially deadly drug as there may not always be a score
mark.

Gardai fear the rogue tablets could enter Ireland through existing drug
dealing gangs or through freelance wildcat drug suppliers who travel to
Holland to bring back drugs.

Ecstasy tablets can be bought for as little as one pound each in Holland and
can be sold on the street anywhere in Ireland for about ten pounds.