Two British tourists died in Amsterdam after unknowingly snorting white heroin sold as cocaine, prompting public health warnings across the city.
Key Facts
- Deaths (November 2014)
- 2 British tourists died; 1 earlier death in similar circumstances
- Others treated medically
- At least 17 people
- Reward offered for dealer tips
- 15000 EUR
- Warning signs removed
- 20 January 2015, after no further incidents
- Dealer sentence (Feb 2016)
- 1 year in prison for drug dealing
- February 2015 incident
- 3 Danish tourists fell ill but recovered
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A street dealer in Amsterdam sold white heroin disguised as cocaine to tourists. The substance was visually indistinguishable from cocaine, leaving buyers unaware of the far greater potency and lethality of the drug they were consuming.
On 25 November 2014, two British tourists aged 20 and 21 died in a hotel room after snorting the mislabeled drug. Their deaths came less than a month after another British tourist died in similar circumstances. At least 17 others required medical treatment from the same substance.
Amsterdam health authorities mounted a public warning campaign with large signs at tourist sites and offered €15,000 for information on the dealer. In February 2016, a man identified as Flip S. was sentenced to one year in prison for drug dealing, though evidence was insufficient to link him conclusively to all incidents.