How a drug that's killed dozens of Australians is bypassing border control

Nitazenes are dangerous synthetic opioids that carry a high risk of overdose, even in very small amounts.

At least 17 Australians have died from nitazenes since 2021.

The dangerous compound is being found in fake sleeping, anti-anxiety and pain medication pills. It is also being used in drugs like cocaine, MDMA and heroin.

But these potentially fatal drugs are evading border control, Australian Crime Intelligence Commission's (ACIC) Shane Neilson said.

Nitazenes are so strong that only a fraction of a gram can be lethal. This makes it easy to send them through the mail in parcels, and hard for border control to detect.

"The traditional serious and organised crime groups do not play a significant role, as the less sophisticated groups are bringing the drugs into the country," Mr Neilson said.

The Australian Federal Police said they intercepted eight nitazene imports at the Australian border between January 2024 and March 2025, with parcels coming from Canada, the US and Hong Kong.

Nitazenes are being mixed into drugs sold online and marketed as opiates and benzodiazepines.

Opiates provide pain relief, used legally as drugs like morphine, endone and tramadol. Benzodiazepines, also known as benzos, can reduce anxiety and aid sleep. Examples include Xanax and Valium.

Nitazenes have also been found in party drugs like MDMA (also known as ecstasy) and GHB.

"They've been identified in vape liquids, they're in tablet forms, powders, nasal sprays," ACIC's Amber Migus said.

They are easy to order from manufacturers off the internet and being so potent, a small amount can be ordered and added to a large quantity of drugs.

About three Australians die every day from an opioid-related overdose. Opiates are behind most unintentional drug deaths, followed by benzodiazepines.

The number of drug-induced deaths related to benzos doubled in the 20 years to 2022.

They are both addictive and people can develop a dependency on pharmaceutical drugs after being prescribed for legitimate reasons.

More people die from unintentional drug overdose than from road accidents, according to the Penington Institute.

Why would a drug dealer add such a dangerous compound like nitazenes to their supply, risking killing their customers?

"Drug dealers are very cynical people," Mr Neilson said.

He said evidence from the United States' opioid crisis suggests dealers might be adding nitazene to their gear to create more loyal customers.

Drug users are more dependent on the original drug, become addicted to the nitazene, and eventually dealers can sell the nitazene directly.

Australia's strict prescribing rules may be why we do not have an opioid crisis like the US, Ms Migus said.

"It means that prevention and preventative actions can work in relation to illicit drug markets," she said.

"And we're always going to be watchful in relation to synthetic opioids because potentially they're so dangerous."

While nitazenes are a growing concern for health and crime authorities, a 2021 federal government report said 70 per cent of fatal opioid overdoses in Australia involved prescribed drugs.

Health authorities encourage anyone taking an opiate legally or illegally to carry naxolone. In both nasal spray and injectable form, it reverses the effect of an opioid.