Warning over 'rogue' ecstasy

The drug looks similar to a commonly-taken tablet

A warning over "rogue" ecstasy linked to a series of deaths has been issued to clubbers.

Lothian and Borders Police is warning drug users in its area to be wary of the pills.

And drugs squads across Scotland have been alerted that the variation on the most popular ecstasy tablet could surface in their area.

The drug is known as "Mitsubishi" ecstasy because it carries the company's logo on one side of the tablet.

Any drug dealing is unscrupulous, but this is particularly nasty

Detective Inspector David Tracey, Lothian and Borders Police

Scottish forces have been warned that a "rogue" version using the same design has been detected in Europe, the USA and Australia.

Detective Inspector David Tracey of the Lothian and Borders drug squad said the tablets posed a danger to clubbers because they appeared to be weaker than "normal" ecstasy.

He said: "People do not feel the effect as quickly as expected so they stack them.

"In some cases victims have taken up to five or six at a time, and by the time anyone realises they have overdosed it can be too late.

'Increased dangers'

"They will suffer major body overheating, severe dehydration to the point where the brain shuts down - and that in turn causes all the major organs to stop working."

The tablets have been linked to the deaths of two young Danish clubbers, one American and a 30-year-old German.

DI Tracey said: "The chemists who are making these must be aware of the increased dangers, yet they are still putting them out there.

Clubbers are being warned of the rogue tablets

"Any drug dealing is unscrupulous, but this is particularly nasty."

A police spokeswoman stressed the force had not yet seized any of the tablets.

"But we are keen to warn people who may be using ecstasy that there is an increased danger," she said.

The white tablets are 7mm in diameter and 5mm in width, with the Mitsubishi logo on one side.

There is a suggestion that the rogue version does not have a centre score mark on the opposite side, although this is not a foolproof test.

Mike Cadger, of the Edinburgh-based drug advice service Crew 2000, said it was not planning to issue a warning at this stage as there had not been any seizures, or reports, of the drug in the UK.

And he said Scotland was normally at the end of any movement of a new drug through Europe.