At least 17 people have died and the numbers are expected to rise with over 50 in hospital after contaminated cocaine was supplied in Argentina during a drugs war on Wednesday
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Police are hunting for the drug dealers who supplied contaminated cocaine that has killed at least 17 people with over 50 others in hospital in Argentina.
An emergency operation has been set up in a province of the capital Buenos Aires with the provincial security minister Sergio Berni warning people to throw away any cocaine recently bought.
He told TV channel TN that so far 10 people have been detained and drugs have been confiscated including 200 rolls of cannabis and 400 rolls of cocaine.
A turf war with drug gangs supplying contaminated cocaine to reduce costs is believed to be behind the tragedy with reports of people dying in hospitals, streets and in their homes.
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The ill have been taken to several hospitals in the region shortly after midday on Wednesday with an official source telling local outlet infobae.com : “There are 56 people in hospital with 26 on artificial respiration.”
The source said that more people are “constantly” entering the hospitals in a “serious state”.
There have also been reports of more dead on “public roads and homes”.
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Argentinian TV channel TN a reporter showed the narrow passageway where the drugs are believed to have been sold often by “soldiers” who are sometimes children and given the drugs to sell by drug gangs.
An official source said: “A lot of people try to deny where they found the drugs but on this occasions it wasn’t like that, they all said Puerta 8 (Gate 8). All collapsed after taking drugs at their homes with several dying there.”
A local resident said: “I have lived here for 28 years. I was surprised when I saw it on the TV, it is a disaster for the neighborhood.
“We have reported this (drug dealing) various times … we are women here on our own and it is scary.”
She added: “It is not safe here, millions of times police have to come around here.”
Local media outlets reported that the cocaine had been “cut” with a toxic substance, by a drug gang looking to cut costs amid a turf war with rival groups.
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“We are waiting for the laboratory results and the results of the investigations into the people who have been detained,” Berni told local television.
All the ambulances in the area are being dedicated to take people who have taken the drugs to hospital.
The local government of one affected area, Tres de Febrero, said in a statement it was aware of people being made seriously ill due to “allegedly adulterated cocaine” and was working with emergency services and hospitals to prevent more deaths.
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It urged people to discard any drugs bought recently.
“If you use cocaine, we recommend that you do not use what you have bought and be aware of the possible symptoms: confusion, convulsions and loss of consciousness,” it added.
An official source told La Nacion that police are looking to capture all those responsible from the drugs gang.
The said: ” The operation will take place during the night in the zone to continue breaking up the band that causes this poisoned batch.
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