Laurence Dollimore
SPAIN’S laughing gas epidemic has been laid bare following the discovery of 1.8 tonnes of the drug.
The mammoth haul (pictured above) was found on a truck heading from Algeciras, on the southern tip of Spain, to Sevilla.
Algeciras port is one of the main gateways for drugs entering Europe from Africa or South America.
READ MORE: Europe’s biggest ever seizure of laughing gas cuts off supply in Spain
Often dubbed hippy crack, laughing gas is actually just nitrous oxide, which is often pumped into balloons and inhaled by youngsters.
The gas rushes to their central nervous system and gives users a very short-lived high.
But experts have warned it can have serious consequences on a person’s health.
Despite this, it remains popular among young people, with low level thugs often seen selling balloons filled with the gas outside nightclubs across Spain.
Empty canisters of the gas are often seen strewn across the street on the Costa del Sol.
In the latest raid, a truck carrying 864 bottles of the gas was seized while en route to Sevilla.
It is believed the load would have been distributed to sellers across the coasts of Andalucia.
The gang behind the shipment is a big player in international drug trafficking, police said.
The driver of the truck was arrested and faces charges of crimes against public health.
The investigation continues.
In June this year, five people were arrested in Malaga province after the Guardia Civil seized 21,302 litres of nitrous oxide (laughing gas)- the biggest-such seizure in Europe.
The gas was stored in different capacity cannisters at a warehouse on the La Rosa industrial estate in Alhaurin el Grande.
The suspects – of various undisclosed nationalities – were charged with public health crimes, with one of the detainees having ‘numerous’ criminal records for the same offence.
The crew allegedly transported and distributed nitrous oxide to coastal nightlife venues in Malaga province.
The Guardia Civil investigation started in February when suspicions of illegal activities at a warehouse came to their attention.
Officers confirmed the building was used to store bottles of nitrous oxide.
Numerous rental vehicles arrived in the area at night to take advantage of the fact that the industrial estate was quiet and to reduce the chance of being spotted.
The cars were then loaded up with the ‘laughing gas’ bottles.
The gang also used a shuttle vehicle on their journeys to warn of possible police checkpoints to ensure the goods got to their destination.
