There has been a noticeable increase in recent weeks in the number of young people being hospitalised after consuming counterfeit black market diazepam tablets bought on the internet, a police officer has told the Magistrates' Court in Londonderry.
Rise in sickness over counterfeit diazepam
The judge said that no-one knew what the counterfeit diazepam contained. (© UTV)

The officer made the comment in the case of Martin McShane, 38, from Dunfield Terrace in the Waterside area of the city.

The defendant was arrested by police in Chamberlain Street near the city centre on Sunday afternoon.

The officers searched him, his car and his home and found between 400 and 500 diazepam tablets, each of them worth £1.

The police witness said the officers also found digital weighing scales and deal bags in the defendant's home and drugs related text messages on his mobile phone.

The defendant is charged with possessing, possessing with intent to supply and with being concerned in supplying the diazepam tablets.

The officer said one of the reasons she opposed the defendant being granted bail was due to the Article 2 Human Rights Act in terms of the right to life of young people who purchased the counterfeit diazepam.

She told the court that the defendant, during his interview, told the police that he consumed 40-50 of the tablets at a time.

District Judge Barney McElholm said no-one knew what was contained in counterfeit drugs obtained over the internet.

He refused bail and the defendant, who has 25 previous convictions - one of which is for a drugs offence, was remanded in custody until 11 Septembe