An urgent warning has been issued for young Australians ahead of schoolchildren after an increase in detections of a powerful drug entering Australia.
Known as metonitazene, this synthetic opioid is more potent than fentanyl and hundreds of times more potent than morphine.
Australian Border Force have noticed an increase in drug use, with yellow and green pills hidden in packages arriving by international mail.
This urgent warning comes as thousands of secondary school students prepare to celebrate the end of their final year across Australia.
The first wave of schoolchildren will begin on November 18 and will last several weeks, with the wild celebrations ending in mid-December.
Known as metonitazene, this synthetic opioid is more potent than fentanyl and hundreds of times more potent than morphine.
Officers arrested 24 drug imports, including 22 in the last month and just two in the nine months to October.
Acting ABF commander Ian Kelly said the increase in detections of metonitazene was worrying, with concerns the drug was being imported for sale to schoolchildren.
“It is concerning with school celebrations about to begin in states across the country if the intention was to import this drug with the aim of selling it to young people,” Commander Kelly said.
Commander Kelly explained that metonitazene was often disguised as other drugs, which posed a problem for the user because they did not necessarily know what they were ingesting.
He said the pills were sent in small quantities and concealed in a number of items, including bandages, medical adhesives and children’s toys.
It comes after Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested a Northern Territory man for allegedly importing metonitazene through the post from the UK.
The 39-year-old appeared in Darwin Local Court on October 30, charged with importing a border-controlled drug.
ABF Acting Commander Ian Kelly said the increase in detections of metonitazene was worrying, with concerns the drug was being imported for sale to schoolchildren (stock image).
The AFP launched an investigation into the contents of the package after receiving a referral from the Commonwealth Agencies Operations Centre.
Australian Border Force officers in New South Wales examined an international mail shipment and allegedly found five grams of the illicit drug concealed in a vacuum-sealed package.
Police searched the man’s home in Gray, a suburb 23km southeast of Darwin’s CBD, and seized a number of opioids, illicit substances and electronic devices.
The man faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
