Sydney man charged after allegedly supplying deadly new opioid which can be 28 times stronger than fentanyl
NSW Police have charged a Sydney man with drug supply and proceeds of crime offences, after he allegedly supplied vape liquid laced with nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioid which is often manufactured in China and cut into other substances.
A police statement claimed that their inquiries uncovered evidence that the man was running a 'sophisticated' distribution model to supply the illicit drug.
Detectives under Strike Force Southminster, established to investigate the supply of nitazenes across Sydney, searched a home in south-west Sydney about 12.10pm on August 1, police said in a statement.
They allegedly seized vials containing nitazenes, electronics and vape hardware, as well as a safe, $7180 in cash, two imitation firearms and a Taser. On Monday, police reportedly also opened the safe to find a further 1.8 kilograms of nitazenes, bringing the total amount allegedly seized during their operations to 2.1 kilograms.
The accused was arrested at Liverpool Police Station, where he was charged with supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime. A NSW Police statement said it will allege he was involved in the sale, preparation and distribution of the vials – which were reportedly marketed as 'supercharged' – for profit.
Health experts and law enforcement have repeatedly warned about the infiltration of nitazenes into Australia's drug supply, saying they pose a greater threat than the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which has led to more than 100,000 deaths in the US but does not yet have a strong presence in Australia.
Intelligence collected by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) suggests nitazenes are being produced by pharmaceutical companies in China, where their production is banned, before being shipped directly to Australia or via intermediary countries, including the US and the UK.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Three dead in Texas parking lot shooting, man arrested
A gunman has opened fire in a Target parking lot in Austin, killing at least three people, then stole two cars during a getaway that ended with police using a Taser to detain him on the other side of the Texas capital. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told a news conference the suspect is a man in his 30s with "a mental health history." Davis said the man fled the scene in a stolen car, wrecked that car then stole another from a dealership. He was captured in south Austin, where he was taken into custody. She said responding officers found three people who had been shot in the Target parking lot. Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said two people were pronounced dead at the scene and one person was taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. He said another person was treated on the scene for unrelated injuries. "This is a very sad day for Austin. It's a very sad day for us all and my condolences go out to the families," Davis said. She said she had no information to release about the victims. Target didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The shooting came amid back-to-school shopping ahead of the upcoming school year. "This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a message on X. "While this remains an active and ongoing investigation, what I'll say is that this was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence." At a Jiffy Lube that shares its parking lot with Target, employees hunkered down and locked the store doors as soon as they became aware a shooting was taking place. Paul Smith, an employee at the auto store, said he saw people running from their cars in the parking lot in a panic. "I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before," he said. The Target shooting comes just over two weeks after an attack at a Walmart store in Michigan. A man stabbed 11 people at the store in Traverse City on July 26 and has been charged with terrorism and multiple counts of attempted murder. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A gunman has opened fire in a Target parking lot in Austin, killing at least three people, then stole two cars during a getaway that ended with police using a Taser to detain him on the other side of the Texas capital. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told a news conference the suspect is a man in his 30s with "a mental health history." Davis said the man fled the scene in a stolen car, wrecked that car then stole another from a dealership. He was captured in south Austin, where he was taken into custody. She said responding officers found three people who had been shot in the Target parking lot. Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said two people were pronounced dead at the scene and one person was taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. He said another person was treated on the scene for unrelated injuries. "This is a very sad day for Austin. It's a very sad day for us all and my condolences go out to the families," Davis said. She said she had no information to release about the victims. Target didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The shooting came amid back-to-school shopping ahead of the upcoming school year. "This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a message on X. "While this remains an active and ongoing investigation, what I'll say is that this was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence." At a Jiffy Lube that shares its parking lot with Target, employees hunkered down and locked the store doors as soon as they became aware a shooting was taking place. Paul Smith, an employee at the auto store, said he saw people running from their cars in the parking lot in a panic. "I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before," he said. The Target shooting comes just over two weeks after an attack at a Walmart store in Michigan. A man stabbed 11 people at the store in Traverse City on July 26 and has been charged with terrorism and multiple counts of attempted murder. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A gunman has opened fire in a Target parking lot in Austin, killing at least three people, then stole two cars during a getaway that ended with police using a Taser to detain him on the other side of the Texas capital. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told a news conference the suspect is a man in his 30s with "a mental health history." Davis said the man fled the scene in a stolen car, wrecked that car then stole another from a dealership. He was captured in south Austin, where he was taken into custody. She said responding officers found three people who had been shot in the Target parking lot. Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said two people were pronounced dead at the scene and one person was taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. He said another person was treated on the scene for unrelated injuries. "This is a very sad day for Austin. It's a very sad day for us all and my condolences go out to the families," Davis said. She said she had no information to release about the victims. Target didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The shooting came amid back-to-school shopping ahead of the upcoming school year. "This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a message on X. "While this remains an active and ongoing investigation, what I'll say is that this was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence." At a Jiffy Lube that shares its parking lot with Target, employees hunkered down and locked the store doors as soon as they became aware a shooting was taking place. Paul Smith, an employee at the auto store, said he saw people running from their cars in the parking lot in a panic. "I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before," he said. The Target shooting comes just over two weeks after an attack at a Walmart store in Michigan. A man stabbed 11 people at the store in Traverse City on July 26 and has been charged with terrorism and multiple counts of attempted murder. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 A gunman has opened fire in a Target parking lot in Austin, killing at least three people, then stole two cars during a getaway that ended with police using a Taser to detain him on the other side of the Texas capital. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told a news conference the suspect is a man in his 30s with "a mental health history." Davis said the man fled the scene in a stolen car, wrecked that car then stole another from a dealership. He was captured in south Austin, where he was taken into custody. She said responding officers found three people who had been shot in the Target parking lot. Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said two people were pronounced dead at the scene and one person was taken to a hospital where they were pronounced dead. He said another person was treated on the scene for unrelated injuries. "This is a very sad day for Austin. It's a very sad day for us all and my condolences go out to the families," Davis said. She said she had no information to release about the victims. Target didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The shooting came amid back-to-school shopping ahead of the upcoming school year. "This is a devastating situation, and my heart is with the victims and their families," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a message on X. "While this remains an active and ongoing investigation, what I'll say is that this was a sickening, cowardly act of gun violence." At a Jiffy Lube that shares its parking lot with Target, employees hunkered down and locked the store doors as soon as they became aware a shooting was taking place. Paul Smith, an employee at the auto store, said he saw people running from their cars in the parking lot in a panic. "I had just gotten back from the Target like a minute before," he said. The Target shooting comes just over two weeks after an attack at a Walmart store in Michigan. A man stabbed 11 people at the store in Traverse City on July 26 and has been charged with terrorism and multiple counts of attempted murder. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
Man killed in suspected hit-and-run in Sydney's northwest
A man has been killed in a suspected hit-and-run in Sydney's northwest overnight. The man's body was found on the roadside along Springwood Rd at Yarramundi – about 10km southwest of Richmond – near 11.30pm on Monday. He had died before emergency services arrived, and is yet to be formally identified. Initial investigations have indicated the man was struck by a vehicle that did not stop at the scene, NSW Police said in a statement. 'Police have been informed that a dark-coloured vehicle was seen to be travelling north along Springwood Rd in an erratic manner around the time of the incident,' the statement read. A crime scene has been established, with the scene later examined by specialist crash investigators. Police are urging anyone with information, or dashcam or mobile phone footage from the area, to contact Windsor police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Canberra Times
14 hours ago
- Canberra Times
Three dead in Texas parking lot shooting, man arrested
A gunman has opened fire in a Target parking lot in Austin, killing at least three people, then stole two cars during a getaway that ended with police using a Taser to detain him on the other side of the Texas capital.
