Man Killed by Pear Drink Laced with Cocaine

A tragic story emerged yesterday when a Royal Navy veteran died after he drank from a pear drink that contained large amounts of cocaine. Police confirmed that 33 year old Joromie Lewis immediately became ill when he drank a small amount of a Cole Cold Pear-D drink last Thursday. He was rushed to Southampton General Hospital where he died several hours later. This brand of drink is a genuine product and is manufactured in the Caribbean, but is not exported to the UK.

Why did this happen?

As border forces get better at detecting illegal drugs that are imported, criminals have to find creative ways to smuggle substances into the country. This is often done by mixing it with drinks or food products, then processing the product later to remove the cocaine back to its pure form. It is believed that this bottle of Cole Cold Pear-D was used to smuggle drugs into the country but somehow went astray. The Food Standards Agency has issue a recall notice, asking shops to withdraw the drink if they sell it. The agency is also running investigations to see if more contaminated bottles have been distributed in the UK. Investigations are also underway to find the source of the drink and find out who is responsible.

This is not the first time that this has happened. In 2009 Lascell Malcom, a taxi driver from Haringey, died when he drank from a bottle of rum which had been used to smuggle cocaine into the country. The bottle was a present from an unknowing friend and it contained nearly a quarter of a kilo of pure cocaine. The bottle was traced back to Martin Newman, who was convicted of manslaughter and importing cocaine.

What can be done?

A portable laser, called Raman, has was developed in 2010, which can detect the presence of cocaine through glass and it is hoped that this can help prevent drugs from being smuggled in the future. However, this technology is not widely available and customs officers currently have to open bottles to test for cocaine.

Anybody who is in possession of a bottle of Pear D should take it to their nearest police station and to call the Food Standards Agency on 0207 276 8488.