Deadly nitazene drugs found in fake medicines

BBC Anne Jacques faces the camera, wearing a white blouse, a silver pear-shaped necklace and silver earrings in her home. Her long, blonde hair is parted to the right. In her right hand she holds up a photo of her late son Alex Harpum. In the photo, Alex is smiling at the camera with his mouth closed. He has centre-parted brown hair, brown eyebrows and brown eyes. He is wearing a metallic grey puffer jacket with a hood.BBC

Anne Jacques said the death of her son Alex had been like losing “half of herself”

Super-strength drugs linked to hundreds of deaths have been found in samples of fake medicines bought across the UK, the BBC can reveal.

We found more than 100 examples of people trying to buy prescription medicines such as diazepam – commonly used to treat anxiety, muscle spasms and seizures – and instead receiving products containing nitazenes.

The synthetic opioid drugs have been connected to 278 deaths across the country in a year, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Nitazenes can be stronger than both heroin and fentanyl, a prolific killer in the US.

Martin Raithelhuber, an illicit synthetic drug expert from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said the BBC’s findings were a “very worrying development”.

Warning: This article contains descriptions of drugs use

A government spokesperson said it was “securing our borders from the threat” through “world-leading intelligence, dedicated cross-government taskforce and extensive international networks”.

The contaminated substances were identified in anonymous samples submitted to WEDINOS, the only national drug-checking service in the UK.

It said the fake medicines looked like “the same kind of packet you might get from your chemist on the high street” but were “most likely purchased from illicit online pharmacies”.

Anne Jacques had never heard of nitazenes when a police officer knocked at her door in the early hours of 17 July 2023 and said her son had been found dead at his student flat.

Alex Harpum, 23, had been preparing for a career as an opera singer and had been accepted for a two-year masters course.

“Watching him sing was one of the biggest joys in my life ever,” Ms Jacques said.

Anne Jacques Alex Harpum (left) smiles at the camera with his mouth slightly open, showing a glimpse of his teeth. His hair is centre parted and flops over his right eye slightly. He has his head leaned against that of his mother Anne Jacques who also grins with her teeth showing in this picture and squints her eyes, while wearing a green scarf like a pashmina. Anne Jacques

Anne Jacques (right) said singing had “changed the life” of her son Alex Harpum (left)

It was initially suspected the cause of his death was sudden adult death syndrome, but eight months later Alex’s family learned he had taken a substance contaminated with a nitazene.

Phone records suggested he had tried to buy tablets usually sold as Xanax, which are only available with a private prescription in the UK.

Ms Jacques believes Alex was doing so because he often struggled with sleeping while taking medication for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The traces of nitazenes were only detected after she queried with police why earlier tests had not looked for them.

Ms Jacques said she remained in “disbelief” at the lack of testing, adding: “If I hadn’t pushed for better answers in the middle of massive grief, then to this day I would have no idea how he actually died.

“Unless we’re testing for them, how is anyone going to be aware and informed [of the dangers]?”

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said there had been “delays beyond the control of the Met” relating to the need for, and timing of, specialist testing in this case.

The North London Coroner Service said it remained in contact with the family regarding their concerns.

Anne Jacques Alex Harpum sings in front of an audience with his feet shoulder width apart. He is wearing a black dinner jack, black trousers and white, open-collared shirt. A pianist accompanies his singing in the background of the still picture, taken from a video of the performance. The silhouettes of the heads of members of the audience can be seen in the foreground of the image.Anne Jacques

Scotland Yard said its thoughts remained with Alex Harpum’s family and friends

The BBC analysed sample results published by WEDINOS, a Public Health Wales service which shares information about the UK’s illegal drugs market. It records what the person submitting each sample said they had intended to buy.

In the year to September 2024, there were 130 instances of someone trying to buy medicines illegal to posses without a prescription and instead receiving substances contaminated with nitazenes.

Many were purporting to be benzodiazepines, such as diazepam, and insomnia treatments including temazepam and zolpidem.

Nitazenes were also found in substances masquerading as promethazine, an allergy medication.

Professor Rick Lines, from WEDINOS, said: “Perhaps people have found that they weren’t able to continue on a legitimate prescription and decided to go through what they think is an alternative legitimate route, but is in fact not.”

The government plans to make all types of nitazenes Class A drugs. Fifteen synthetic opioids were reclassified in March.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, those caught in their supply and production could face up to life in prison while those in possession could face up to seven years.

Martin Raithelhuber faces the camera while sat in an office, wearing a navy blue blazer, pastel blue shirt and navy-blue, striped tie and glasses. Behind him are two unfurled banners: one to his left is referring to an early warning advisory message from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) about new psychoactive substances (NPS); over his right shoulder the second banner describes the effects of NPS.

Martin Raithelhuber said nitazenes had been found in 29 countries

Mr Raithelhuber said there was a “lesson to learn… from North America”, where people became addicted to prescription painkillers before the use of fake medicines containing fentanyl became widespread.

“So here in Europe, we are not yet in that situation, but this could be the early signs of traffickers trying to expand,” he said.

“I think it’s a warning call, maybe for all other countries in Europe… that nitazenes are probably here to stay for the time being, and that their potential negative impact on the health of users is huge.”

He said because both benzodiazepines and nitazenes were depressants, “their combined effect increases the risk of overdose significantly”.

Synthetic opioid effects

Signs that someone may have taken one of these drugs:

  • Small, narrowed pupils
  • Reduced or loss of consciousness
  • Dizziness or drowsiness
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Cold or clammy skin
  • Blue or grey lips and fingernails
  • Low blood pressure or decreased heart rate

Anyone who has consumed synthetic opioids and experiences the symptoms described should seek urgent medical treatment.

Source: Metropolitan Police

The groups of people most at risk were “those who have always been at the highest risk of all drug-related harm,” said Harry Sumnall, a professor in substance use at Liverpool John Moores University.

He said this included people with drug use problems and those “using drugs to help manage their life circumstances”.

With tousled brown hair and thick, dark-rimmed glasses, Prof Harry Sumnall looks off to the left as he considers his next response to an interview question. He is sitting in a darkened lab and different pieces of scientific equipment and a computer screen can just be made out in the background.

Prof Harry Sumnall was a government adviser on misuse of drugs from 2011-2019

The NCA believes nitazenes are being produced in Chinese labs and brought into the UK through the Royal Mail and other parcel operators.

Dark web marketplaces seen by the BBC suggest some of the same online sellers in China are advertising nitazenes in bulk as well as adulterated benzodiazepines.

The Border Force only examines post for drugs if there is a known risk or intelligence. It says dogs trained to detect nitazenes and other synthetic opioids are “due to enter service shortly”.

Its teams seized new synthetic opioids nine times in the past financial year, according to a response under the Freedom of Information Act.

Those seizures ranged in size from 1g to 1.32kg, which experts said could equate to tens of thousands of doses.

The government said it would also test for the presence of the new drugs in wastewater from sewage treatment plants to anticipate the threat of a spike in overdoses.

It has, however, admitted such testing is currently “experimental”. The process took around two months at the only laboratory known to have successfully confirmed samples.

Experts previously told the BBC the last government had been too slow to recognise the scale of the problem.

NCA deputy director Charles Yates said it took the threat from nitazenes “seriously” and was taking a “zero-tolerance approach”.

There are an average of 49 drug poisoning deaths weekly involving opiates – such as heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl and including synthetic opioids – across England and Wales, the latest official figures suggest.

Additional data journalism: Paul Bradshaw

  • If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
Scroll to Top