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Five held in hunt for drug girl's supplier

Thursday 16 November 1995 00:02 GMT
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Police investigating the supply of ecstasy to drug victim Leah Betts yesterday arrested five people.

Detectives also issued an urgent appeal to trace an anonymous woman telephone caller who gave information which they say could provide a key lead in the hunt for the drug pusher who supplied Leah, 18, who was still fighting for her life yesterday.

An Essex police spokeswoman said the arrests followed raids on four addresses in Basildon. A 25-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were taken from one address and two 19-year-old men arrested from two separate locations. The fifth arrest, of another 19-year-old man, was made later.

All four men were being held on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug while the woman was detained on suspicion of possessing counterfeit currency. All five suspects were being questioned at Basildon police station.

Leah yesterday remained in a coma on a ventilator at Broomfield hospital, Chelmsford, where a spokesman said her condition was critical.

The student collapsed after taking an ecstasy tablet, marked with an apple motif, at her 18th birthday party on Sunday at her parents' home at Latchingdon, Essex.

Five people aged between 17 and 19 have already been interviewed and released on police bail, but their arrests on Monday were not thought to have been specifically connected with inquiries into the supply of drugs to Leah.

The anonymous caller whom police are trying to trace telephoned Chelmsford police at 11am on Tuesday. The woman told police on Friday night she and a friend were in Raquels nightclub in Basildon, the place where Leah is thought to have bought the ecstasy.

"They saw a young man 'serve up' ecstasy tablets similar to those taken by Leah," a police spokeswoman said. "One girl, not thought to be Leah, was seen to buy a tablet and shortly afterwards was violently ill and shaking. We are anxious for any of these three girls to contact police."

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Storey said: "We consider this to be a very strong lead. Any information will be treated in the strictest confidence."

It was disclosed yesterday that the ecstasy tablet taken by Leah was not contaminated. However, there was no explanation as to why Leah suffered such a devastating reaction.

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