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Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Bollywood film worker and partner 'may have mistaken killer drug for sleeping pills' as urgent warning issued over 'highly dangerous synthetic opioid' spreading across London
A Bollywood film worker and his partner who died after taking 'mystery green pills' may have mistaken a killer synthetic drug for sleeping tablets, it has been reported. The couple named locally as Gagan Brar, 28, and Kamaldeep Kaur, 20, were found unconscious in their first-floor flat in Southall, west London, last Monday. It is believed they accidentally overdosed on super-strong opioids following a night out with their flatmates over the spring bank holiday weekend. Yesterday, an urgent warning about a highly dangerous synthetic opioid that has been seen across the capital was issued by the London Ambulance Service. Several nightclubs across London, including the Ministry of Sound, have also warned customers about dangerous pills in circulation. While it has not yet been confirmed what exactly Mr Brar and Ms Kaur took, it is feared to be nitazenes - a synthetic opioid that can be hundreds of times stronger than heroin. The blue-green tablets marked '80' have been sold across London and have also been mismarketed as other drugs such as oxycodone - a highly-addictive prescription painkiller. Pictures of the pills Mr Brar and Ms Kaur are thought to have took show they have the number 80 written on one side, with two letters, possibly OP, on the other. One theory being considered is that the pair thought they were taking 'oxys' or sleeping pills, The Times has reported. Picture shows pills that were seized by police following the two deaths Mr Brar, 28, originally from India, was a driver for celebrities in the Bollywood film industry who visited London. Ms Kaur, 20, had just left university and worked in the hospitality industry. A father-of-three and neighbour to the couple told Metro: 'To me they were a clean-cut, hardworking couple who left early in the morning and were ambitious. 'They were a pleasure to be around. 'It's a total shock – if something like this can happen to them it can happen to anyone. They were the perfect couple just enjoying life.' He added: 'It was horrific on the day they were found. I think they had been out with the flatmates the night before. 'They wondered why the couple had it got up the next day originally thinking they were just having a lay in. Then one went in their bedroom and found them. 'The flatmates were in total shock. Loads of police ambulances came. One of the flatmates was vomiting, it was just terrible.' Another neighbour added: 'The guy drove Bollywood celebrities around and was on the crew, he had a bright future ahead of him. His partner was a beautiful, hard-working person. 'We used to meet up with them in the garden. We watched some of the cricket World Cup together. They were great company.' A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: 'In recent days, we have been informed that a highly dangerous synthetic opioid has been seen across London. 'We have issued additional guidance to our control room staff to be aware of any emergency calls where the patient's condition may be linked to recreational drugs. 'If you suspect someone has symptoms of a recreational drug overdose, which can include shallow breathing, loss of consciousness, blue or grey lips or fingertips, call 999 immediately.' The Met Police said in a statement: 'Police continue to make enquiries following the sudden deaths of a 28-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman in Ealing on Monday. 'This is following reports that the individuals allegedly passed away after taking an illicit substance in the form of a green pill. 'No arrests have been made at this time and we're working closely with our partners, including the health service and councils, to issue advice to people in the area.' Ealing Council have also raised the alarm over the mystery pills circulating. In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'Over the Bank Holiday weekend, two people were found dead in Southall, following attendance at a nightclub in South London on Saturday 24 May. 'They are thought to have consumed green pills with an '80' on one face and possibly an 'OP' on the other. 'Please remember, there is no way of knowing what is in any pill or drug that is bought illegally, or how your body will react. 'If you, or anyone you are with, starts to feel unwell after taking any pill or drug, go to your nearest Accident and Emergency department or call 999.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Warning over synthetic opioid in blue-green pills linked to London nightclub deaths
Two people in their twenties have died in London after allegedly consuming a super-strong opioid drug, believed to be a nitazene, which can be hundreds of times stronger than heroin. The victims, a 20-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man, reportedly took the drug after visiting a club in south London over the May bank holiday weekend. Nightclub the Ministry of Sound issued a warning about blue-green pills marked with '80' being sold across London, which are suspected to contain synthetic opioids, ketamine, and MDMA, and are being mis-sold as ecstasy or oxycodone. Professor Fiona Measham, founder of drug checking charity The Loop, told The Times there had been two nitazene-related deaths per week in the UK, with the latest deaths appearing to leap from dependent to recreational users. The Metropolitan Police are investigating the deaths and awaiting toxicology results, while the Home Office stated they are working to tackle the threat from synthetic opioids but cannot endorse recreational drug testing.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning after two suspected opioid deaths at the weekend: Met Police urge Brits to take care after pills '500 times stronger than heroin' are feared to be being used in nightclubs
An urgent warning has been issued after two people died in a suspected synthetic opioid overdose following a night out over the weekend. A man, 28, and woman, 20, are thought to have taken Nitazenes, believed to be up to 500 times stronger than heroin, after partying at a south London nightclub during the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Their bodies were later discovered at a property in Southall, west London, after a concerned friend was unable to wake the pair. The Met Police confirmed an investigation into their 'sudden deaths' had commenced but no arrests had been made yet. The force added: 'This is following reports that the individuals allegedly passed away after taking an illicit substance in the form of a green pill.' Drug testing charity The Loop has suggested these pills contain Nitazenes, which can be '50 to 500 times stronger than heroin'. The organisation added that they are often sold under the pretence that they are oxycodone, a highly addictive prescription painkiller. A theory is that the pair thought they were taking oxycodone to assist them in getting to sleep, The Times reports. World famous south London club Ministry Of Sound warned its customers to 'stay safe' last week, just days after the deaths over Bank Holiday weekend. The pills taken by the users over the weekend had the number 80 on one side and possibly an 'OP' on the other, Ealing Council said. The Cause nightclub in east London has taken to its Instagram account to claim there had been 'several hospitalisations across multiple London venues' associated with the pills. MailOnline has approached the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to verify this statement. The Met Police has also been contacted for comment. An Ealing Council spokesperson told people to avoid taking the pills 'even in small amounts' and that people considering consuming them should not do so by themselves. Users should also think about carrying naloxone - an opioid overdose antidote. Nitazenes were first created in the 1950s as opioid painkillers but were never approved for medical use. For 70 years, their existence was forgotten. Then, after Britain and America's withdrawal from Afghanistan - and the Taliban's subsequent narcotics ban - they re-emerged as a way to strengthen low-purity heroin in case opium supplies dwindled. Experts are united in their fear of the rising risk of nitazenes. Yet, while heroin users are still vulnerable, young people buying traditionally legal drugs such as Valium and Xanax as coping mechanisms are also at risk. In fact, MailOnline analysis of data from the UK's only drug testing facility Wedinos has revealed that two-thirds of samples that contained nitazenes were supposed to be legal medications that could be purchased legally. Two-thirds of that total were bought by people intending to buy Valium (diazepam). So far, the number of nitazene-related deaths only stands at 458 in the last two years, up to April 13. However, there was a 166 per cent increase from 2023 (125 deaths) to 2024 (333 deaths) - more than double in a single year, and even that total is expected to rise once toxicology and forensic testing improves and is finalised. Steve Rolles, a senior policy analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, told MailOnline: 'The number of deaths is rising at an alarming rate. It's the tip of the iceberg. 'What has happened in the US should be a warning to policymakers in the UK. We could be heading to a US-style overdose crisis. We are talking thousands or tens of thousands dying. 'All the indications are that is what is happening. I'm very wary of scaremongering about drugs but I'm deeply worried about the potential carnage opioids could do in the UK. 'We already have the highest overdose rate in Europe. Nitazenes could make it way, way worse. 'This is a very serious public health emergency that's not being taken seriously enough.' He added: 'I am scared. There's almost one person dying every day from nitazenes and most people haven't even heard of it. 'If it was anything else, there would be national panic. The government hasn't grasped the urgency of this.' Rolles is starting to see heroin mixed with nitazenes on the streets of Britain. He said: 'It does seem it's getting more [prevalent] as the heroin supply dries up.'
The Sun
25-05-2025
- The Sun
Fury as Albanian drugs mule booted out of UK is BACK & is selling naked pics on OnlyFans & flaunting lifestyle online
A FOREIGN drug mule who was booted out of Britain is back here after time in jail — and posing for naked snaps on an adult website. Albanian Maksim Progni fled to the UK after he was arrested in Germany trying to smuggle a kilogram of cocaine. 2 2 He was extradited and jailed but less than two years later he returned to Britain — where he flaunts his trips to nightclubs and restaurants online, as well as posing in the nude on a £7.50-a-month OnlyFans page. Progni, 36, has refused to reveal how he got here, sparking fears he may have arrived illegally. He is thought to be living in East London and working as a personal trainer promoting himself with pics in his underpants and just a towel on Twitter and Instagram. Progni is also trying to launch a career as an adult content creator with nude shots on OnlyFans. He has also posted pics from the VIP section of South London nightclub Ministry of Sound and a posh Canary Wharf restaurant where wine costs as much as £530 a bottle. And he boasted of spending £50 on lunch at department store Harrods. Progni was pulled over by German cops in Wachtendonk, near the Netherlands border, in April 2016. Documents obtained by The Sun reveal police found cocaine in his backpack weighing 1,048g. An official report stated: 'In one compartment, a red plastic bag containing the suspected 'sale' was found, split into two packages with a black adhesive strip labelled 'max'. 'Both packages were opened, revealing a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine.' Killer Albanian terrorist FREE to roam UK streets in human rights fiasco because he'd be hunted by mobsters if he's deported Progni is believed to have fled to the UK soon afterwards. In 2021, his lawyers told a court in Kleve, western Germany: 'He wishes to conclude the proceedings and return to a life where he is not wanted under an arrest warrant. 'He is aware that this requires him to face the criminal proceedings in Germany.' Progni was extradited by Britain in September 2022 and sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in February 2023 for importing a 'non-negligible' amount of narcotics. He was sent back to Albania in February 2024, having served just 11 months. Under German laws he was eligible to be returned home having served 40 per cent of his jail term on remand and in prison. He resurfaced in London in May last year. Asked about his OnlyFans page, Progni told The Sun: 'I've been exploited by Albanian gangs in the past. Whatever my past, I deserve to live a normal life like everyone else. 'I do not work, because I am not allowed to work right now.' He declined to reveal how he had re-entered Britain and insisted he earned no money from OnlyFans. The Home Office was passed links to Progni's accounts but said it does not comment on individual cases. A spokeswoman said: 'Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that we will do everything to make sure they are not free to roam Britain's streets, including removing them from the UK at the earliest possible opportunity.' 'NO REASON' ASYLUM WIN AN IRAQI asylum seeker who told authorities he did not have a reason to be in the UK and asked for time to make one up won his fight to stay. The unnamed man arrived in a lorry in 2016, but his asylum claim was refused in 2019, as were two appeals. He then won the third, in Manchester, after medics agreed marks on his arm may have come from IS torture, as he had claimed. The Home Office argued he was 'not credible' after he told officials he had no reason to be here, but the panel said he could not safely go home.
