Prisoners hand over drugs after fellow lag dies and four more overdose on new lethal substance
Adam D’Arcy (21) died in Mountjoy Prison on Thursday morning, sparking a major alert by Irish Prison Service bosses about a dangerous nitazene substance that is suspected to have claimed his life
Prisoners have handed over hundreds of drugs after a fellow lag died and four more overdosed but survived a lethal substance.
Adam D’Arcy (21) died in Mountjoy Prison on Thursday morning, sparking a major alert by Irish Prison Service bosses about a dangerous nitazene substance that is suspected to have claimed his life and left two other prisoners in a serious condition, battling for their lives.
Sources have confirmed to The Irish Mirror that since then prisoners in Mountjoy have willingly handed over hundreds of drugs to prison bosses - over fears they too could overdose on the highly lethal substance.
READ MORE - Shocking figures show assaults on officers rampant in Irish prisons last year
It comes as we have also learned that there were serious concerns for two more prisoners this week - who were also suspected of overdosing on the same substance.
It is understood that only for a prompt medical emergency response both men could have died after they suffered suspected overdoses on the same week that D’Arcy, who was serving a two-year sentence for drugs, died.
In total it is believed that four prisoners overdosed from the suspected substance in Mountjoy Prison this week alone - but quick medical intervention thankfully saved their lives.
The shocking incidents prompted bosses in the Irish Prison Service to issue a public alert about the substance that saw prisoners in Mountjoy willingly hand over batches of drugs following the shocking death.
Meanwhile, a new report by the Inspector of Prisons relates to the death of a man in custody in Cork Prison - who is also suspected to have died from the same lethal substance in March this year.
It is feared the man died after initially surviving an overdose that saw him hospitalised - and then returned to prison.
The investigation into his death found that his cell was not searched for drugs after he became ill.
The Cork Prison inmate, referred to as Mr K (27) in the report, died in his cell before 8am on March 14 – after returning to the prison from the Mercy University Hospital the previous morning.
The prisoner was taken to the hospital at around 3am on the morning of March 13 after becoming unwell in his cell - and was discharged two and a half hours later and returned to the prison.
The report outlined that Mr K was the subject of regular checks on the night of March 13 into March 14.
It continued: "Mr K was checked nine times between 06:01 and a final check at 07:40 (on March 14). At 07:43:36 Prisoner 1 activated the in cell call bell which alerted staff to cell 6. Officer C arrived at 07:44:05 and reported that Prisoner 1 informed him Mr. K was not breathing." He was pronounced dead shortly before 8am.
The report into the death of Mr K has recommended the provision of remote technology which would help prison staff identify signs of life in prisoners.
Irish Prison Service bosses have since established a group and met with European colleagues to investigate the issue.
The Inspector of Prisons report praised the IPS for its "rapidity and effectiveness of its reaction to the discovery of the apparent presence of Nitazene in Irish prisons".
"Had it not reacted so swiftly and decisively, the lives of other prisoners could have been placed in jeopardy.
"Nonetheless, the events leading up to the death of Mr. K and the very similar pattern evident in the events surrounding the repeated hospitalisations of his cellmate, Prisoner 1, demonstrate that there is clear room for improvement in the handling of cases of this kind, both by the IPS and the HSE."
In a statement the Irish Prison Service said it was issuing the urgent drug alert "to all prisons following analysis conducted by the HSE National Drug Treatment Centre Laboratory which confirmed the presence of a nitrazine type substance, associated with overdoses in Irish prisons, one of which is fatal.
"The Irish Prison Service is working closely with the HSE in response to this detection of Nitazene. Prison healthcare teams have adequate stocks of naloxone should clinical intervention be required," a spokesperson said.
"Extra vigilance is being taken across the prison estate and the Irish Prison Service has commenced an information campaign for prisoners around the dangers of consuming non prescribed illegal drugs.
"There is a free confidential telephone line (1800 855 717) and text line (086 180 2449) which is operational. Prisoners, visitors, staff or members of the public with information on the trafficking of drugs into our prisons can pass on that information in the strictest confidence."
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