'Super-strength' ecstasy pills could link three deaths in Glasgow

Marcus Dick and Scott Allison, both 18, died after attending a rave at SWG3 on August 12, 2023.

We also reported that an 18-year-old woman then died following an event at the same venue on January 1 this year and that one line of enquiry being followed by police was that the deaths were drug-related.

Now the Daily Record reports that Trump pills, containing the chemical MDMA and shaped like the former US president's face, were recovered by security staff at the city venue at the time of Marcus and Scott's deaths.

The RADAR (Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response) report identified the pills, along with others shaped to resemble the Netflix and Twitter logos, as potential killers.

It states that Police Scotland’s Statement of Opinion (STOP) Unit continues to see recoveries of both MDMA crystal and ecstasy tablets.

It reads: “The below are images of MDMA tablets recovered in August 2023 by events venue security staff in the West of Scotland.

"Some of these tablets have been reported to be linked to the deaths of young people.”

Scott, from Cumbernauld, died after being found unwell at Croy train station at around 11.20pm on Saturday. 

Scott Allison (Image: Police Scotland)

He was taken to University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie where he was pronounced dead a short time later. 

Marcus, from Coatbridge, died in Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after becoming unwell at around 2.20am on Sunday, August 13. 

Following the third death at the New Year, SWG3 said it would cancel all events in January as staff worked to take "significant measures" to prevent drugs from entering the venue. 

Marcus Dick (Image: Police Scotland)

Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst of the Transform Drugs Policy Foundation, believes the latest deaths emphasise the need for drug testing to be introduced in Scotland.

He said: “We know that Scotland has problems with drug deaths and it is clear that harm reduction measures can have very clear results. Drug-checking procedures would eliminate a lot of the risk attached to illicit pills, where batch strength can vary significantly.

“We see 50 to 60 MDMA deaths in the UK each year but this reduces to one or two in the Netherlands, where they have successful testing procedures.”

Kirsten Horsburgh, the CEO of the Scottish Drugs Forum, added: “Deaths of young people are tragedies for families. People need basic information to know how to limit risks and what to do if something goes wrong.

“We need to be putting these messages out continually and consistently.

“People who own or manage clubs need support to learn how to reduce risk and licensing authorities in local government need better understanding of what actually reduces risk – education and support – rather than a simplistic zero-tolerance approach that just makes drug use higher risk and drives drug use into more dangerous settings.”