EXCLUSIVE: 'Shatter' drug found near Craigavon primary school
A new drug called 'Shatter' has been found outside a primary school in Craigavon, Downtown/Cool FM can exclusively reveal.
Last week, we exclusively revealed the cannabis oil-based drug was on the streets of Northern Ireland.
A bag of the dangerous drug was discovered on a path beside St Anthony's Primary School in Craigavon on Wednesday.
Officers in the area have said tests have been carried out already and it does not match any of the drugs on the PSNI's database, meaning to could be mixed with an unknown substance.
An officer said: "These people do not care.
"They don't mind who takes what, so long as they get their money.
"Further up that chain, money greedy gangsters sit taking the money from every one of those single deals.
"This funds weapons including firearms, human trafficking, even terrorism."
The drug itself is dangerous due to the way it is manufactured.
It’s believed the production technique has been copy-catted from examples in America, with a pressure cooker being used.
That has already led to several facilities.
DCI David Henderson from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Unit, explained how it is manufactured.
“It’s made using liquid butane gas and cannabis oil,” he said.
“That’s used to extract the THCs from the cannabis, in a pressurised system and then the extract is heated, to purge the chemicals from the actual product itself.”
“Butane gas as a substance is highly volatile and highly flammable."
“Putting it under pressure and heating it causes it to become even more so.
“This result in it being extremely reactive, even static electricity in a room could cause an explosion.
“The explosion could be so severe, it could even cause a whole house to blow up and debris to be flying all over the street."
It is believed one arrest has already been made over the production of the drug in the Greater Belfast area.