Dutch police take down 30 illegal medicines sites after fake oxycodone kills three

The police arrested three men and took down 30 websites selling illegal medicines and hard drugs in an investigation launched after three people died within a short period. All three victims died after consuming pills that appeared to be oxycodone but actually contained nitazenes, the police reported on Thursday.

The arrests and websites takedowns happened on Tuesday, October 20. The arrested men are suspected of offering, selling, and supplying illegal medicines that led to the deaths of three people. Shortly before their deaths, the victims purchased the pills that killed them from the websites slaappillen.net and regioapp.net. According to the police, the suspects played a role in building and maintaining the websites and managed customer relations.

The police searched three homes, a storage unit in The Hague, and a workspace in Bergschenhoek. Investigators seized various items, including crypto wallets, cash, and other valuables. The police also took several servers offline, seizing the servers and related data for further investigation.

“By taking these websites offline, the police are restricting the ability to purchase this medication. The arrests have removed a crucial link within the criminal network,” the police said.

The suspects are a 35-year-old man from the municipality of Westland, a 39-year-old man from Rotterdam, and a 66-year-old man from The Hague. They are in restricted custody and will be arraigned on Friday. More arrests may follow, the police said.

In recent years, multiple people have died after taking pills that appeared to be oxycodone bought from sources other than a pharmacy. Forensic analysis revealed that these pills contained nitazenes, synthetic opioids that are much more potent than oxycodone, creating a high risk of overdose.

The websites the police took down illegally sold medicines that should only be prescribed by a doctor and exclusively dispensed through a pharmacy. “Although these sites may appear reliable, using the medication they sell is life-threatening,” the police warned.

The police asked anyone who became sick or knows someone who died after buying illegal medicines to come forward.