Gardai detained a man after a considerable quantity of the ‘date rape drug’ Rohypnol was discovered in a Co Donegal hotel.
The tablets, which are usually slipped into people’s drinks without their knowledge, were seized from a man in in Dillon’s Hotel on Main Street in Letterkenny.
Staff at the premises were alerted to the man by a vigilant member of the public who witnessed him acting suspiciously.
Staff called in Gardai and in a follow-up operation a quantity of the tablets were seized.
The suspect, who is in his early 20s, is believed to be from the North.
A sample of the tablets have been sent for analysis but it is believed they are Rohypnol.
The drug is used as a sedative by doctors but in the hands of criminals they are used to cause black-outs, reduced alertness and blurred vision.
The substance has been dubbed the ‘date rape’ drug because it has been used to spike the drinks of women by sex attackers.
Local drugs activist PJ Blake paid tribute to the public for remaining vigilant to the threat of such drugs.
“Such incidents prove that the scourge of these types of drugs have not gone away,” he told donegaldaily.com.
“These drugs could have been used on anybody’s son or daughter and the consequences could have been horrific.
“We have to remain vigilant and ensure that lives are not destroyed by these drugs,” he said.
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