Broadmeadows, Melbourne: Reason behind mysterious deaths linked to synthetic opioids

All four people found dead in a suburban Melbourne home, including a 17-year-old, had synthetic opioids in their systems.

Police were called to a house in Broadmeadows on Bicknell Court at around 2am on June 26 after a neighbour went to investigate and discovered the bodies.

Michael Hodgkinson, 32, was one of four people found in the living room of a unit, along with Abdul El Sayed, 17, an unidentified 37-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman.

Victoria Police said on Thursday that the investigation into the Broadmeadows deaths was ongoing, but confirmed the discovery of drugs.

“Preliminary testing has confirmed that all four individuals had a synthetic opioid in their systems,” police said in a statement.

‘No fentanyl has been found at this time.’

The Department of Health on Tuesday issued a warning over the sale of cocaine in Melbourne laced with the synthetic opioid protonatazene, which is 100 times more potent than heroin.

“There have recently been serious accidents in Melbourne involving a white powder sold as cocaine that contained protonatazene,” the warning said.

Michael Hodgkinson was one of four people who died in a suspected overdose in Broadmeadows last week

Abdul El Sayed, 17, (right) leaves behind a partner and an 18-month-old daughter

‘The product appears to cause, among other things, unconsciousness, respiratory depression and life-threatening hypoxia (insufficient oxygen for normal functioning).’

Last week, police were seen entering the building using oxygen tanks. It was feared that the four people may have been intoxicated by some form of gas.

Carbon monoxide poisoning was quickly ruled out because a dog survived in the house.

The bodies were found by Abdul’s uncle Cory Lewis, when he saw them through a window.

When they didn’t respond, he smashed the window to get in and then called emergency services.

“I went straight in there and I didn’t smell anything at all,” Lewis said.

The group was found in the same part of the house. Police suspected they were together, but there was no evidence of violence in the house.

Preliminary forensic examination has revealed that all four individuals had a synthetic opioid in their system (pictured are family and police present at the home where the four bodies were found)

Police are investigating the ‘unusual’ deaths of four people found in a home in Melbourne’s north.