'Punisher' MDMA linked with UK deaths discovered in Jersey

Wednesday 17 November 2021

A high-strength MDMA pill that has been linked to the deaths of teenagers in the UK is currently circulating in Jersey, Police have warned.

Known as 'Punisher', which is a reference to its skull logo's resemblance to a Marvel character, the tablet is up to three times stronger than normal MDMA tablets.

While it has been linked with deaths in the UK, this has not been the case in Jersey, nor have there been any hospitalisations.

Nonetheless, Police are warning individuals to keep well away from it should they come across it.

"Our advice would be not to take this drug or for users to seek immediate medical attention if they notice any different symptoms or start to feel unwell," officers said.

"For information about the dangers of taking drugs and their effects, please visit Talk to Frank.

"We would urge people who have information about illegal drug related activity to come forward and contact us on 01534 612612, report online or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

A UK inquest heard last month that 19-year-old Harley Given from the Isle of Wight died after taking three of the high-strength blue tablets for £10 on a night out with his friends.

14-year-old Bethany Devlin-McCrone, from Merseyside, also died after taking the drug. During an inquest into her death in 2018, the Coroner warned: "The evil people that peddle illegal drugs, I suspect, many of them make vast profits out of the upset and grief that ordinary families, such as Bethany's family, have suffered.... With this drug, along with other drugs, you cannot build up a tolerance - each time you take it there's a risk of it causing death."

"Sometimes in life you don't get a second chance," he added.

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