hoptis
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- May 1, 2002
- Messages
- 11,083
Heroin floods streets of Melbourne
Wayne Flower and Ben Butler
From: Herald Sun
September 17, 2009 12:00AM
MORE Melburnians are overdosing on heroin despite police efforts to crush illegal drug imports.
Drug agency Turning Point revealed that paramedics treated up to 110 people in Melbourne's metropolitan area who overdosed on heroin each month between December last year and March, with that figure expected to increase leading into September.
The figures came as no surprise to youth worker Les Twentyman, who said Melbourne was awash with Afghan heroin.
"The death rate has jumped up significantly," Mr Twentyman said.
"It's just been a matter of time and now it's found its way in and it's obvious the death rates have climbed."
Police on Wednesday arrested three people and seized about $5 million worth of heroin in a major blow to a drug importation syndicate in Melbourne's inner suburbs.
Drug taskforce detectives together with Australian Federal Police and Customs and Border Protection officers executed search warrants in Collingwood, Richmond and Footscray, seizing heroin and packaging equipment allegedly used to prepare the drug for sale.
Police also seized ice,ecstasy and cash from the properties.
Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison in Deer Park has also been hit with a heroin outbreak after a new inmate smuggled several bags of pure heroin into the jail inside her body last week.
A Corrections Victoria spokeswoman confirmed between eight and 10 prisoners required medical treatment after overdosing.
"Searches have successfully located small quantities of illicit drugs," she said.
Herald Sun
