CLUBBERS are being conned with fake 'knock-off' pills, the Evening Times can today reveal.

Crime gangs are stamping their ecstasy tablets with logos in a bid to dupe people into believing they are safe.

From Heineken and UPS to Nintendo and Gold Bars, the logos are designed to make products 'authentic' and desirable to clubbers.

But the branding is bogus and some of the pills they sell can be deadly.

Kenny Simpson, who was a drugs squad sergeant for more than 20 years, said: "Logo design does not guarantee quality or the presence of MDMA.

"Dose can greatly differ between tablets that may look exactly the same.

"Perception is important as the ecstasy market has become very competitive with elaborately designed tablets being produced such as the Heineken and UPS logos."

Most young people pay attention to warnings about lethal drug batches and stop buying them.

However, they move on to other pills, and have no way of knowing what they're taking.

Mr Simpson, who is now a civilian expert with Police Scotland's Statement of Opinion (STOP) Unit, said: "There is no guarantee of quality as many tablets sold as ecstasy are designed in a way to engender a perception they are better than others.

"For example, the gold bars, which are small tablets gold in colour with the word GOLD stamped on them.

"They have a half score mark on the reverse and the number 199.9 mg.

"This is designed to give an impression the tablet is better quality and contains a dose of 199 mg of MDMA, which is particularly high.

"One gold bar tablet was examined and found to contain 102 mg of MDMA.

"This highlights the fact that those who produce them are more concerned about marketing and making money rather than the well being of the end user.

In recent months, there have been a spate of warnings issued by police about a variety of ecstasy pills.

Schoolgirl Regane MacColl, 17, from Clydebank, died last year after apparently taking a Mortal Kombat tablet at the Arches nightclub.

Chief Inspector Mark Sutherland, who is in charge of policing the city centre, said: "Drug dealing is about making money and drug dealers only concern is making a profit.

"Just because it has the same markings, symbol, or colouring doesn't mean it's the same as a pill you have used before.

"It could be a completely different tablet, containing completely different substances and with a very different effect."

Mr Simpson, added: "There is no way of telling what any tablet contains or when the criminally minded decide to copy recognised brands which may then contain other drugs.

"There are concerns that ecstasy tablets in circulation are not what they are perceived to be.

"Users will not know what they have taken until it's too late."