Fentanyl theft at Israeli hospital in Rome: 80 vials stolen, potentially 20,000 doses of narcotics
Eighty vials of fentanyl have been stolen from the Israeli hospital in Rome. Italian authorities fear that the substance could end up on the illegal market, generating up to 20,000 doses of high-risk narcotics.
Fentanyl theft at Israeli hospital in Rome: 80 vials stolen, potentially 20,000 doses of narcotics
A theft of considerable severity has rocked the Roman healthcare system. Eighty vials containing fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used as a powerful analgesic but also associated with a growing number of deaths internationally when employed as a drug, have disappeared from the Israelitic Hospital in the capital.
According to reports from Newsit, initial estimates indicate that up to 20,000 extremely dangerous doses could be extracted from the 80 vials stolen, should the quantity end up on the clandestine market.
The drug was kept inside a safe at the hospital. This detail reinforces the hypothesis of Italian authorities that this would be a "commissioned theft", planned and targeted. What makes the incident even more alarming is the fact that several members of staff at the healthcare facility would have had access to the safe's keys, an element that is at the centre of the investigation.
The case was reported by hospital staff themselves. However, according to Italian media, some of these workers would have come under scrutiny from investigators precisely because of their possession of the keys to the safe.
The gravity of the matter has prompted the Italian Prime Minister's office to convene an extraordinary assembly. Government sources in Rome have expressed "great concern", emphasising the "responsibility" of those tasked with ensuring the secure custody of the substances.
Fentanyl is considered one of the most dangerous substances in the opioid landscape. Its potency is tens of times greater than that of heroin, and even minimal quantities can prove lethal. The theft of such a quantity therefore represents a significant threat to public safety, with the concrete risk that the substance could be released into the drug trafficking circuit.
Investigations are ongoing to identify those responsible for the theft and to verify any connections with drug trafficking networks operating on national and international territory.
Source: Newsit.gr