Two men arrested after man in his 20s found dead in east Belfast

DETECTIVES investigating the sudden death of a man in his 20s in east Belfast on Sunday have arrested two suspects.

Two men have been detained arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and B drugs and possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs in connection with the death.

They are both currently assisting police with their enquiries.

A PSNI spokesperson said that forensic tests will be carried out in connection with the death.

“At this stage, this death is not being linked with the 8 unexplained deaths in the Greater Belfast and North West area.

“Police are still awaiting the results of forensic tests in connection with the eight unexplained deaths currently under investigation,” the spokesperson added.

Detectives investigating the deaths of up to eight people as a result of drug taking have arrested three people in recent weeks, the PSNI revealed last Friday.

The suspects were quizzed by officers from the PSNI’s Organisd Crime Branch about the supply and distribution of Class A drugs.

Up to eight people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, have died in recent weeks in Belfast and the north west of the province.

On Friday, police chiefs said no single killer drug was responsible for the deaths of eight people in Belfast and Coleraine over the last four weeks.

Investigations are continuing, but the PSNI said on Friday that they did not believe there was a link connecting all eight deaths.

In the last four weeks, three people have been arrested and questioned in connection with the deaths.

However, they are not being treated as murder.

Detetective Chief Supt Roy McComb, head of the Organised Crime Branch, said on Friday that the deaths were “eight individual tragedies”.

Last year nearly 1,400 people were charged with drugs offences – an increase of almost 16% on the year before.

Police refuted suggestions that they were not doing enough to tackle drugs in Northern Ireland.

The eight deaths were, at one stage, thought to be linked to a green-coloured tablet with a crown or a castle logo.

Police investigated the deaths of eight people – all aged in their 20s and 30s.

Seven died in Belfast and one in the north west.