POLICE WARN: BEWARE OF 'DIRTY' HEROIN

A batch of dirty heroin may be responsible for two sudden deaths in the
last week, a street source has claimed.

Heroin containing rat poison is understood to be circulating on the Island
and Police admitted they have received reports that drugs containing a
substance which could have "deadly consequences" are being distributed.

Drugs are thought to be involved in the deaths of a 33-year-old woman, who
was found in a Devonshire apartment on Monday, and a 42-year-old man who
collapsed last Tuesday on Front Street and died in hospital two days later.

At this stage Police will not confirm or deny that drugs were involved in
either case and they refuse to rule out foul play.

The Royal Gazette understands, however, that there is clear evidence that
both deceased were drug users and that traces of heroin were found in the
system of Lowis Burcher, who was found at the junction of Front Street and
King Street between 2.30 a.m. and 2.40 a.m. last Tuesday. Mr. Burcher, of
Rose Hill, Southampton, had been out celebrating his birthday in a number
of bars around Hamilton when he slumped to the ground. He was rushed to
King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where he died.

It is understood he had taken a 'hit' as part of his birthday blow-out.

Police have yet to reveal the results of Monday's autopsy.

Tasha Dillis, from Southampton, was found in a Roberts Avenue apartment at
8.55 p.m. on Monday. She was found in an unresponsive state and was later
declared dead by the on-call doctor at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Police have put out a statement warning that a batch of dirty
heroin may be circulating locally.

"Police have received unconfirmed reports of controlled drugs, believed to
be heroin, are currently being distributed on the Island containing a
substance which, in and of itself, is extremely harmful to health and abuse
of these drugs may have deadly consequences," said spokesman Dwayne Caines.

Meanwhile a former drug dealer contacted The Royal Gazette to warn of rat
poison in local heroin supplies, which they claim is being used due to the
shortage of the drug on the Island.

"There is some bad stuff going around," said the 27-year-old former
alcoholic and cannabis user who pushed heroin, crack and ecstasy on the
streets before turning their life around.

"There is shortage of good heroin at the moment here, so dealers are
putting rat poison in instead. It keeps the colour of the stuff and means
they can keep selling it.

"There are some guys out there getting bigger hits than they know what to
deal with. Two people are dead and you just don't know what else could happen."

The source claims that users who sniff the drug have been suffering from
sores and damaged nostrils as a result of using the substances.

They added that other substances such as Clorox and diesel are also being
used by dealers when selling 'speed-balls' - a powerful cocktail of heroin
and crack that users are taking for the "ultimate hit".

The National Drugs Commission was unavailable for comment last night and
staff at the Turning Point Substance Abuse Centre said they had not heard
any reports of dirty heroin.