Eight police officers have been treated in hospital after
being exposed to an unknown substance during a drugs raid.
West Midlands Police said the officers experienced
sickness and breathing difficulties while supporting colleagues from the
Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, early on
Friday.
A police spokesman said early indications suggested the
substance, found at a house in Mill Burn Way, was a mixture of petrol and an
illegal drug, possibly heroin. Three men, aged 21, 27 and 34, were arrested on
suspicion of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs during the operation.
Officers forced entry to the premises at around midnight
and seized a quantity of suspected class A drugs with an approximate street
value of around £250,000. The police spokesman said: "While the arrests
were being made, officers were exposed to an unknown substance which caused
ill-effects for both the officers and the people arrested, namely sickness and
breathing difficulties. "In total 11 people, consisting of eight police
officers and three detainees, were taken to Heartlands Hospital. All were
discharged early this morning and the three detainees remain in police custody,
where they are being dealt with by Soca officers. "Inquiries are ongoing
to establish exactly what the liquid was, although early indications suggest it
may have been petrol mixed with an illegal drug. Parts of the area are still
cordoned off and a number of road restrictions are in place while forensic
examinations continue.
West Midlands Police incident manager, Chief Inspector
Lee Wharmby, said: "Police officers face threats on a daily basis and, on
occasions, criminals will use extreme measures to resist arrest. Events such as
this always raise concern in communities, but I want to be clear that this is
about drugs alone and not connected to terrorism."
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