Deadly synthetic street drugs also being substituted for Ketamine and Xanax

A new group of drugs dubbed “Frankenstein opioids” disguised as other popular drugs has already claimed one life and been blamed for a string of overdoses.

A deadly new group of drugs dubbed the “Frankenstein opioids” have hit Australia and are being sold to unsuspecting buyers disguised as other substances including cocaine and oxycodone.

The opioids, which are man-made, are stronger and more dangerous than fentanyl, and up to 200 times more potent than morphine.

The synthetic street drugs are also being substituted for Ketamine and Xanax, and have been blamed for at least one death and a string of overdoses around the country.

Part of the nitazene family, the opioids are cheaper to produce than fentanyl and heroin which is making them popular in drug production, according to experts.

The drugs first started appearing in the United States last year.

Australia’s first government-sanctioned drug-checking service CanTEST issued its inaugural ‘red alert’, the highest level of warning, earlier this year after finding metonitazene in a yellow pill masquerading as oxycodone.

But the Australian Border Force (ABF) is issuing its own alert after making 22 different seizures of the drug in just one month – sparking fears the drugs may be coming in ahead of schoolies weeks.

The deadly Frankenstein opioids have been found being smuggled into Australia in band-aid and plaster packages. Picture: Australian Border Force

ABF Acting Commander, Ian Kelly, said there had been an increase in metonitazene coming into Australia through the international mail system.

“ABF officers have recorded 22 detections of this highly dangerous substance in October, compared to just two detections in the nine months previous to that,” Commander Kelly said.

“This is concerning with schoolies celebrations about to begin in states across the country if the intention was to import this drug in an attempt to sell to young people.”

Australian Border Force Acting Commander Ian Kelly. Picture: Australian Border Force

Nitazenes were first made in the 1950s by a Swiss company working to develop an alternative to morphine. But they were never brought to market because of their risks.

The drug has been found disguised as yellow and green pills with no markings on them. They had been hidden in bandages and adhesive plasters as well as children’s toys.

Experts warn the drugs are so potent they can cause overdose and death at very low doses, especially if people don’t know that they’re taking them.

Nitazenes have already been blamed for a death and an overdose in South Australia in recent months.

There have been a string of overdoses in NSW particularly on the Central Coast area. Fake Xanax tablets were found in Queensland last month containing Protonitazene.

Last year in Victoria Protonitazene was discovered being sold as Ketamine. Protonitazene has also been detected in Western Australia.

Medical Director of the NSW Poisons Information Centre, Associate Professor Darren Roberts, has said heroin contaminated with a potent opioid such as a nitazene can cause unexpected and severe overdose or death.

Professor Anthony Lawler, Deputy Secretary of Health Products Regulation and head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) at the Department of Health and Aged Care, said they are extremely concerned with reports of attempts to smuggle synthetic opioids into Australia.

“There are no approved medical uses for (the) nitazene class of synthetic opioid in Australia,” Professor Lawler said.

“The significant potency of the substances and associated risk of respiratory depression and death means that they are considered unsuitable for use in a therapeutic context.”

Originally published as Deadly synthetic street drugs also being substituted for Ketamine and Xanax