Spanish police have seized nearly 13 tonnes of nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, in the second-largest confiscation of the substance in European history, authorities said on Saturday.
The Civil Guard dismantled a family-run criminal network that imported and distributed the recreational drug across southern Tenerife. Officers arrested six people and placed six others under investigation on suspicion of drug trafficking, trafficking in health-harming substances, and money laundering. The operation, codenamed Centro, involved simultaneous raids across the municipalities of Arona, Adeje and Granadilla de Abona after authorities detected rising recreational use of the gas in the island's nightlife districts.
Alongside 10,394 canisters weighing close to 13,000 kilograms, officers seized 63,500 euros and 1,000 pounds in cash, along with cocaine, hashish, marijuana and the synthetic drug known as tusi. Simulated firearms, bladed weapons including axes, and electronic devices were also recovered.