A British man has reportedly died after accidentally drinking liquid methamphetamine from a bottle he thought contained a fruit juice, according to British media outlets.


Romano Dias, a 55-year-old from Cambridgeshire, England, fell ill after consuming what he thought was a fruit-based drink given to him by his daughter, Cambridge News reported. After drinking half a glass, the man reportedly said it tasted "awful" and began complaining of a burning in his throat. He then purportedly said: “I am in trouble here. I am dying, I am dead."[1]


It was later determined the liquid was not juice, but $54,000 (£34,000) worth of pure methamphetamine[2] , according to Cambridge News. The bottle was delivered to Dias' daughter's home some three years ago under the correct address but a wrong name. She kept the package for months and eventually gave it to her father. Detective Inspector Ian Simmons said, due to the high value of the contents, officials believe the bottle was destined for a drug dealer who may have been planning to introduce meth to the area[3] .


This is not the first time the drug has been disguised as an everyday beverage.


Meth is typically found in solid form, but traffickers are apparently developing new ways to transport the drug. When distributors receive the liquid substance, they convert it into crystal meth[4] , the Denver Post noted. Rob Saccone, a supervisor with the Drug Enforcement Administration, told the paper that eight pounds of the liquid yields about four pounds of the crystal form.


In August, 15 people were indicted on suspicion of transporting liquid methamphetamine across the Mexican border in sealed drink bottles and in wiper fluid reservoirs, the Denver Post reported.


The most common ingredients found in meth[5] include acetone, lithium, hydrochloric acid and anhydrous ammonia, according to the Meth Project Foundation. The drug releases dopamine[6] rapidly in the brain, producing an intense euphoria. Dangers[7] can include addiction, heart palpitations, paranoia, insomnia, seizure and stroke.