Police in Broome, in northern Western Australia, are on the lookout for five stolen lamb shanks after learning the meat has previously been injected with drugs.
The lamb shanks were stolen from a bar fridge outside the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service Council in Broome.
They were being used to train Aboriginal health workers and had been injected with anaesthetic and stitched.
The officer in charge, Darren Seivwright, says 55 millilitres of the drug Lignocaine has been injected into the meat and could be fatal if consumed.
“They’re pretty easily identifiable, they’ve got stitches in them. So if someone offers you a lamb shank that’s got stitches in them, then my strongest advice would be to stay away and if you’ve already consumed them, then I suggest you get yourself to the hospital,” he said.
I’ve had some offputting meals in my travels out west, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t really need Officer Seivwright’s advice to ‘stay away’ if offered lamb shanks with stitches in them…
UPDATE: A few moments ago it occurred to me that we might have a Half a Bladder situation with this story. Specifically, why were the lamb shanks injected with anaesthetic? Think about it: trainees practicing their sutures on some lamb legs, fair enough, but what the hell were they doing injecting Lignocaine into them? It’s not like the deceased lambykin legs were going to feel any pain or anything. And if it was just to hone injection skills, why use (presumably costly) drugs? Why not just use water? Hmmm?
I think there is more here than meats the eye.
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Thanks to Nurse Myra for reminding me of this story (which I heard on the radio yesterday, but forgot…)
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