'More potent than heroin'.. threat of synthetic drug rise

THE State agency tasked with identifying illicit drugs has sounded a warning over “the rising threat" of synthetic opioids drugs here after identifying 10 new drug substances or unusual presentations of drugs last year.

- BY GORDON DEEGAN

In the 2024 annual report for Forensic Science Ireland (FSI), Acting Director General, Dr Geraldine O'Donnell pointed out that Section 15A drug dealing cases - which concern large drug consignment seizures - have increased seven fold from 45 in 2020 to 318 in 2024.

Dr O'Donnell stated that between 2022 and 2023, FSI identified several Nitazene (synthetic opioids) variants in small seizures of tablets and powders.

She added: “However, 2024 marked a significant shift, with two of the largest Nitazene seizures recorded not only in Ireland but across Europe.

Some of the 10 new illicit drugs of unusual presentation of drugs identified by the FSI last year include Protonitazene which is a synthetic opioid that “is significantly more potent that heroin”.

POWDER

The report states that in early 2024, FSI received an urgent out-of-hours request from An Garda Siochana to analyse several packages of brown powder that was identified as 1.9kg of protonitazene, mixed with caffeine and paracetamol.