Police bust "spiritual retreat" offering frog venom, hallucinogenic drugs in Spain
The gang is suspected of operating from a villa in the southeastern town of Pedreguer, charging over $1,160 for multi-day stays that included consumption of ayahuasca, San Pedro cactus and a frog venom known as Kambo.
"The retreats were held in groups of up to twenty participants, who were attended to by six employees of the organisation during the 'astral journeys'," the Guardia Civil police force said in a statement.
A photo released by the force showed a large room with several mattresses on the floor, along with water bottles and tissue boxes and a guitar leaned against a wall.
Police said the investigation began last March "after receiving a complaint from a victim."
:As a result, officers discovered a company that advertised itself online as an internationally renowned spiritual retreat organization and boasted awards as a guarantee," police said.
Police say the group held several retreats a week without the means to respond to intoxications, and generated hundreds of thousands of euros in undeclared income last year.
It promoted the retreats online with promises of a "mystical" experience and health benefits that drew clients "from around the world, the majority from Europe."
Police arrested two men and a woman suspected of leading the group and placed five other people under investigation for allegedly acting as "spiritual guides" at the retreats.
They face charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and criminal association.
Officers seized 11 liters of ayahuasca, 117 San Pedro cactus plants and several bottles of Kambo, an oozy substance harvested from the skin secretions of the Amazonian giant monkey tree frog.
Police said that 945 Ritalin tablets as well as cash and numerous documents were also seized.
Police said the substances "can have unpredictable, dangerous effects."
According to the BBC, the frog, which is found throughout the Amazon, secretes the substance as a defense mechanism to kill or warn off animals that try to eat it.
For centuries, Indigenous people in South America have used kambo, believing it wards off bad luck and improves hunting skills. Today, proponents claim kambo "rids the body of toxins, brings mental clarity and treats various illnesses" but there is no research proving its supposed health benefits, the BBC reports.
Kambo has been linked to deaths, seizures, liver failure and heart attacks, according to the BBC.
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