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3:48
Argentina: consumption of adulterated cocaine leaves 17 dead
The cocaine was presumably adulterated in an area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.
The official specialists continue to investigate the origin of the cocaine that left 50 people hospitalized in various states of seriousness, and 17 deceased.
The number of deaths increased in the last hours, as 8 people died who remained in hospitals in the northern area of the urban area of Buenos Aires and in the western area.
Official sources indicate that currently 56 people are hospitalized. 26 of them with Mechanical Respiratory Assistance (MRA) in sanatoriums in the districts of General Rodríguez, Moreno, Tres de Febrero, San Martín, Morón, Hurlingham and Ituzaingó.
The numbers of people hospitalized is constantly increasing due to the alleged consumption of the adulterated drug. There have even been reports of cases of people who died on public roads and in homes. However, the exact number is not yet known.
Marcelo Lapargo, general prosecutor in charge of the investigation in the Buenos Aires department of San Martín, confirmed that at the moment, they have no knowledge of the substance with which the drug was adulterated.
People arrested with drug wrappers
Operatives have been deployed in the Tres de Febrero area, northwest of the capital, by the Police of the province of Buenos Aires. The team arrested ten people who were found to have several packages, similar to the ones in the possession of the first victims.
Prosecutor Lapargo assured that this event is exceptional, since they do not have any kind of background, so they believe that someone has placed it intentionally. So he insists that this is not an error in the process of the component.
Official sources indicate to local media that one of the intoxicated people said that he made the purchase of the drug in the vicinity of "Puerta 8".
This is an emergency village that is located in Tres de Febrero, precisely where the police operation is carried out.
Sergio Berni, Provincial Minister of Security, certified that the deaths could be due to the famous cocaine stretching process. This procedure consists of adding another component (starch or talc), to amplify the effects of the hypnotic.
Until now, they do not rule out that it is another type of drug. The results may even show that it is not cocaine and that it is talc with some type of pain reliever. This combination creates a false sensation that the person is under the influence of the drug, Berni said.
Worrying consumption
An alert statement regarding the use of cocaine was published by the Government of the Province of Buenos Aires.
They indicate to the population that they should go immediately to a health facility if they have breathing problems or are very sleepy after consuming cocaine in the last 24 hours.
They reinforced that these people should be accompanied by drug users, without stigmatizing or judging them. They added that the purchase of cocaine made in the last 24 hours, should be discarded.
The Provincial Police have carried out more than 20 raids involving more than 1,500 agents, in addition to the ten arrests related to the sale of the adulterated cocaine.
Alleged revenge
Some hypotheses are handled by the investigators in charge. Lapargo presumes that this situation has to do with a revenge between drug traffickers.
He pointed out that it may be a reckoning. However, it is something that does not happen constantly enough to be able to have a comparison with old cases and be sure that they are the signs of a reckoning between gangs.
His objective at this moment is that people who have acquired this cocaine avoid its consumption in order to stop the increase of cases of affected people.
