NEW KILLER DRUGWARNING - 100 TIMES STRONGER THAN HEROIN

Frankenstein pills have killed 9 Scots in 6 months

- SALLY HIND and RUTH SUTER

A DEADLY new “Frankenstein” street drug has killed at least nine people in Scotland in just six months.

Campaigners fear nitazenes – believed to be at least 100 times stronger than heroin – could be linked to the recent death of a 16-year-old schoolboy who bought the drug on the dark web.

The revelation comes after the UK’s law enforcement agency revealed 54 deaths have been linked to the tablets since June but the true figure could be far higher – with dozens more cases awaiting testing.

And drug policy advocates fear a “wave of deaths” in the coming months if urgent action is not taken to address a huge drought on the country’s heroin supply threatening to spike demand for the superstrength synthetic opioids.

A source said: “This needs to be a big wake-up call. It’s not just addicts dying. This is kids too.”

Nitazenes, thought to be made in Chinese labs before being imported by post, were first detected in the UK in 2021.