Five Arrested Following Death Linked to ‘Contaminated’ Spice

Five individuals have been apprehended following the death of a man and the illness of 20 others, all of whom are believed to have consumed a contaminated batch of the drug known as spice. Paramedics summoned law enforcement after a man’s death, suspected to be from an overdose, occurred in Hull’s Pryme Street car park on Monday. Humberside Police indicated that additional individuals are suspected to have become unwell on both Monday and Tuesday. The police force further reported that four men, whose ages range from 27 to 46, along with a 36-year-old woman, were taken into custody on suspicion of committing drug-related offenses. Det Ch Insp Jon Cross stated: “As a part of our initial lines of enquiry, we do suspect the man’s death and subsequent illness of others, to be linked to the contamination of a batch of drugs, believed to be ‘spice’.” In a joint declaration issued on Tuesday, Humberside Police, Hull City Council, and the drug and alcohol treatment service ReNew announced that the preceding 24 hours had seen a “higher than usual” incidence of individuals experiencing drug overdoses.