Latest news with #Pedreguer
The Independent
12-08-2025
- The Independent
Spanish police raid ‘spiritual retreat' where guests were given toad venom, cactus and ayahuasca
Police have seized several bottles of toad poison and 11 litres of the psychedelic drug ayahuasca during a series of raids at a 'spiritual retreat' in eastern Spain. Three people were arrested after the Guardia Civil swooped on two properties in a rural area of the town of Pedreguer, near Alicante, on Monday. Police found 945 Ritalin tablets, ayahuasca and bottles of toad venom at the properties, which belonged to a company promising to provide "astral journeys'. They also recovered 117 San Pedro cactus plants, which contain the psychoactive substance mescaline. Officers began investigating the retreat after receiving a complaint from a victim five months ago, they said, leading detectives to a company advertising 'traditional healing medicine vacation packages' using ayahuasca, San Pedro cactus, and Kambó toad venom. Police said the company sold itself as an 'internationally renowned spiritual retreat organisation,' attracting clients from all over the world. Guests could choose between several different lengths of stay, accommodation, and substances, police said, with the average price per package exceeding €1,000, police said. They estimated the group had made 'several hundred thousand euros' over the last year 'without declaring any income'. Several dozen beds were found set up in the rooms designated for "astral travel," where police said clients were simultaneously treated by six members of the group, who prepared and administered the substances and accompanied them throughout the process. Pictures released by the Guardia Civil show a dozen mattresses on a tiled floor with buckets and boxes of tissues next to each bed. They added 16 clients were staying at the retreat at the time of the raids. Guardia Civil officers also uncovered a 'rudimentary and unhygienic' home laboratory where substances were prepare. Ayahuasca, the San Pedro cactus, Kambó toad venom, harmala, and mimosa are 'naturally occurring substances with highly harmful effects on humans', they said. 'Officers arrested three people, two men and a 33-year-old woman, considered the ringleaders of the group, company administrators, responsible for advertising the services, managing the finances, and preparing the substances for consumption,' they said in a statement. 'Five other people, three men and two women, who are believed to be the organisation's "spiritual guides," responsible for administering the substances and accompanying clients during drug use, have also been investigated. 'All of them are charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organisation. The seized substances have been sent to official laboratories for toxicity analysis.'
CBS News
12-08-2025
- CBS News
Police bust "spiritual retreat" offering frog venom, hallucinogenic drugs in Spain
Spanish police said Monday that they had dismantled a group accused of running a "spiritual retreat" that offered hallucinogenic drugs and dangerous frog venom to clients from around the world. 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.
The Guardian
12-08-2025
- The Guardian
Ayahuasca and toad poison seized as police raid spiritual retreats in Spain
Police in eastern Spain have arrested three people and seized 11 litres of ayahuasca, 117 San Pedro cactus plants and several bottles of toad poison after raiding two rural properties that were used to host lucrative spiritual retreats promising 'astral journeys'. Officers from the Guardia Civil force began investigating the business in the Pedreguer municipality of Alicante province five months ago after receiving a complaint from a former customer. They discovered that the retreat, which advertised online and billed itself as an award-winning and internationally renowned spiritual centre, offered 'traditional curative medicine' breaks that were especially popular among European visitors. 'The three-day and five-day packages on offer cost an average of €1,000 [£865] and included lodgings, support and the substances to be taken,' the force said in a statement. 'The retreats comprised groups of up to 20 people, who were accompanied on their 'astral journeys' by six of the organisation's employees. Several such retreats took place each week, leading investigators to conclude that the group made hundreds of thousands of euros over the past year – most of which was paid in cash that was not declared and which therefore left no trace. A large number of bank accounts in different countries were used.' The Guardia Civil said 16 people had been on a retreat when the raids took place, adding that the centre did not have the necessary equipment to deal with cases of poisoning and that the concoctions were prepared in a 'homemade, rudimentary laboratory that lacked hygiene measures'. A Guardia Civil spokesperson said that ayahuasca, San Pedro, toad poison, wild rue and mimosa pudica were prohibited substances in Spain, adding that their consumption was not authorised because, while they were natural substances, they could be highly dangerous to human health. Police photographs showed a large room, filled with mattresses, buckets and tissues, where the 'astral journeys' took place. Two men and a woman – thought to be the group's leaders – were arrested, while five others who served as 'spiritual guides' are under investigation. All are suspected of drug trafficking, money laundering and belonging to a criminal organisation. Officers also seized 945 Ritalin tablets as well as an assortment of plant products, all of which were sent to the laboratory for testing. While the Guardia Civil has not suggested that anyone was physically harmed as a result of the centre's activities, they stated: 'Ayahuasca, San Pedro cactus, toad secretions, wild rue and mimosa pudica are naturally derived products that can be highly damaging for humans and whose effects are difficult to predict because they depend on various factors, including an individual's metabolism and the amounts administered. That risk increases when the toxic substances are administered by people who lack healthcare training and when they are produced in a homemade fashion.'
South China Morning Post
12-08-2025
- South China Morning Post
Spain police bust ‘spiritual retreat' offering frog venom, other psychedelics
Spanish police said Monday that they had dismantled a group accused of running a 'spiritual retreat' that offered hallucinogenic drugs to clients from around the world. The gang is suspected of operating from a villa in the southeastern town of Pedreguer, charging over €1,000 (US$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 20 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. Officers remove San Pedro cactus plants. Photo: Guardia Civil via AFP 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.
Malay Mail
12-08-2025
- Malay Mail
Tripping trouble: Spanish ‘spiritual retreat' busted for selling deadly frog venom and cactus to global tourists
MADRID, Aug 12 — Spanish police said Monday that they had dismantled a group accused of running a 'spiritual retreat' that offered hallucinogenic drugs to clients from around the world. The gang is suspected of operating from a villa in the south-eastern town of Pedreguer, charging over €1,000 (RM4,920) 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 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 litres 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 the substances 'can have unpredictable, dangerous effects'. — AFP
