26 Oct 2015

Defence Force and police to investigate drug-taking incident

3:49 pm on 26 October 2015

Eight soldiers who were hospitalised in Palmerston North after taking a mysterious drug could face being dismissed from the army.

Police are still working to establish what drug the men used and the Defence Force is also investigating.

The men were found by the police early yesterday morning and taken to Palmerston North Hospital where they were discharged later that day.

Senior Sergeant Steve Crawford said the police were yet to find out what the drug was and where it came from.

He said no arrests had yet been made.

A Defence Force spokeswoman said it had a strict no-tolerance policy around the use of drugs.

She said the force held its personnel to a high standard of behaviour and appropriate action would be taken.