Pubdate: Tue, 30 May 2000
Source: Daily Record and Sunday Mail (UK)
Copyright: 2000 Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.
Contact:  Anderston Quay, Glasgow, Scotland, G3 8DA
Website: http://www.record-mail.co.uk/rm/
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n662/a07.html

TON OF DOUBLE-STRENGTH HEROIN IS 'KILLING SCOTS JUNKIES'

A pounds 15 Million batch of imported pure heroin could be behind a sudden 
jump in Scots drugs deaths.

Five addicts died in Strathclyde at the weekend, taking the 2000 toll to 44.

Yesterday, Daily Record investigators who were given a pounds 20 deal of 
the deadly heroin were told: "This is double the normal strength and this 
is what is killing the addicts."

It came from Turkey, via Holland and Liverpool, before being sent to 
Scotland in cars, vans and taxis.

One of Glasgow's biggest drug dealers told the Record: "Those five people 
died because the heroin was uncut and far too pure. There is a ton of it in 
Glasgow." We were told the name of the family running the nationwide 
racket, and the name of the man distributing it in Glasgow.

These names and the pounds 20 bag of heroin have been passed on to police.

The dealer said: "Addicts are adding crushed amphetamine-based tablets and 
that is taking them over the top."

Three men were found dead within three hours of each other in Glasgow and 
Clydebank on Sunday.

They were John Hunter, 19, Steven Reynolds, 26, and Gordon Watson, 39.

On Saturday, 18-year-old John McConnachie was found dead in Port Glasgow, 
and the body of Robert Long was found in a Clydebank house."

Strathclyde Police said: "We are treating this as a priority."
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