Interpol issues global alert over 'imminent threat' posed by slimming drug

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Tuesday 05 May 2015 - 16:07 Makkah mean time-16-7-1436 The illegal 'diet pill' DNP, pictured after the death of British rugby player Chris Mapletoft who took the drug (Rex) Lyon, France (IINA) - The world police agency INTERPOL has issued a global alert for 2.4-dinitrophenol (DNP), an illicit and potentially lethal drug used as a dieting and bodybuilding aid, INTERPOL official website reported. The drug, known as DNP, has been linked to the death of British woman Eloise Parry in recent weeks and has also left a French man critically ill in hospital. Under its anti-doping project, INTERPOL collaborated with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and received additional information from the global anti-doping organization after one of the WADA-accredited laboratories received a sample of the drug following a seizure in Australia. Issued at the request of the French Ministry of the Interior’s Central Office for the Protection of the Environment and Public Health (OCLAESP - Office central de lutte contre les atteintes à l’environnement et à la santé publique), the alert has been circulated to law enforcement in all 190 member countries, and a public version has also been made available to help raise awareness. Although usually sold in yellow powder or capsule form, DNP is also available as a cream. Besides the intrinsic dangers of DNP, the risks associated with its use are magnified by illegal manufacturing conditions. Yet a study last year warned it has made a comeback, and could be linked to at least five deaths in the UK between 2007 and 2013, The Independent reported The agency said online sellers were trying to smuggle the drug past customs officials by labelling it as the spice turmeric due to its similar appearance. “Although usually sold in yellow powder or capsule form, DNP is also available as a cream,” police said. “Besides the intrinsic dangers of DNP, the risks associated with its use are magnified by illegal manufacturing conditions. “In addition to being produced in clandestine laboratories with no hygiene regulations, without specialist manufacturing knowledge the producers also expose consumers to an increased chance of overdose.” SM/IINA