Joint operation of the Tax Agency and the National Police

• The investigators broke into a house in Sant Pol de Mar (Barcelona) when those arrested began a ceremony in front of 23 people where different psychoactive substances that were prohibited and dangerous for the health of the attendees were going to be supplied.
• In the search carried out, various substances were seized (ayahuasca, bufo toad, kambó frog or mescaline), instruments for consumption, weighing scales, 4,000 euros in cash and 2,000 US dollars.
• In addition, a postal shipment, sent by one of the detainees and containing almost a kilo of mescaline, an internationally controlled narcotic, has been intercepted.
• The researchers classify those arrested in the so-called 'new age sects', characterized by the consumption of this type of substance.

April 2, 2023.- Customs Surveillance Officials from the Tax Agency and agents from the National Police, in a joint operation, have arrested in the municipality of Sant Pol de Mar (Barcelona) two people for their alleged participation in the crimes of belonging to a criminal group, smuggling, drug trafficking and professional intrusion, as well as for violating the Immigration Law. The investigators broke into the house when a ritual began before 23 people where prohibited psychoactive substances dangerous to health were supplied.

The operation, coordinated by the General Information Commission, has been developed by the Regional Operational Areas of Customs Surveillance of Madrid and Barcelona and the Provincial Information Brigade of Barcelona, under the direction of the Court of First Instance and Instruction Number One of Arenys de Sea (Barcelona).

This intervention has also had the collaboration of the State Labor and Social Security Inspection Body together with the Provincial Brigade of Immigration and Borders of Barcelona, having detected the presence of foreign citizens in an irregular situation who carried out different tasks, such as cooking, maintenance , administration or advertising, without a legal contract, or registration with Social Security.

23 attendees to the ritual

The object of the investigation focused on dismantling a group allegedly dedicated to the smuggling of substances that cause serious damage to health supplied through organized meetings at a low price. The researchers intervened just when a celebration was about to begin in which they intended to supply these psychoactives. The participants, under the effects of these substances, become more vulnerable and manipulable, which facilitates their recruitment and connection to the group.

At the time of the search, 23 people were found inside the house who were going to participate in the ceremony that was interrupted, and up to a total of fifty beds could be counted to accommodate the attendees who participated in the group's activities.

The group promoted itself through social networks and websites, offering the supply of psychoactive substances that were provided, such as ayahuasca, sapo bufo, rana kambo and others similar. In the search carried out on the occasion of the police operation, 4,000 euros and 2,000 US dollars in cash, different quantities of ayahuasca, bufo toad and kambo frog and even mescaline, multiple instruments for the consumption of these substances and weighing scales were seized. In addition, it was possible to intercept a postal shipment that one of the detainees had just sent with almost a kilo of mescaline, an internationally controlled narcotic.

According to researchers, these types of substances are usually used within the framework of ceremonies practiced by the so-called 'new age sects', specifically in neo-shamanic rituals.