Counterfeit oxycodone pills kill at least 13 in Netherlands

Counterfeit prescription pills sold online have killed at least 13 people in the Netherlands and caused dozens of serious poisonings, according to an Erasmus MC investigation conducted at the request of NOS.

The Dutch Forensic Institute confirmed six deaths and four severe poisonings linked to fake medications.

The Dutch Forensic Institute suspects an additional six deaths, and one case exhibits "strong indications" of a connection. At least 22 others survived severe poisoning, some after intensive treatment. Experts warn these numbers likely underestimate the accurate scale.

Many victims took counterfeit oxycodone purchased from the online shop Slaappillen.net. The pills contained nitazenes, a highly potent synthetic opioid that can cause fatal overdoses. Two men associated with the website face drug trafficking charges in court on Monday, following the death of 44-year-old Sharon from Voorburg. Prosecutors have not linked them directly to any deaths, and the main suspects remain at large.

“In October 2024, we first detected nitazenes in someone’s blood who likely died from it,” said Corine Bethlehem, hospital pharmacist and toxicologist at Erasmus MC. Nitazenes are a powerful synthetic opioid that can cause fatal overdoses.

Testing for nitazenes is uneven across the country. In western Netherlands, suspicious deaths are often screened, but in eastern regions, there are no protocols, and survivors are rarely tested.

The parents of a 29-year-old victim in Amsterdam described finding their daughter dead after she took a pill from Slaappillen.net during a severe abdominal pain episode. “Losing a child, however it happens, is the worst thing a parent can face,” they said. They hope public awareness and law enforcement attention will prevent further deaths.