The Civil Guard has dismantled a premises dedicated to spiritual retreats in El Campello (Alicante) and has arrested the manager of the premises, a 40-year-old Italian man, for alleged drug trafficking.
According to the armed institute, in the operation – called Mecetes – numerous plants from which mescaline is extracted, bottles with ayahuasca extract, capsules that could contain cactus powder, hashish, hallucinogenic mushrooms, more than half a kilogram of marijuana have been seized. and several boxes with chocolate cubes with alleged marijuana.
The Civil Guard’s report indicates that at the beginning of December 2023, at the El Campello post (Alicante), the agents became aware of the existence in the town of an association calling itself “psychedelic” that promoted the use of substances. psychotropic drugs in their spiritual retreats, which is why the researchers began the operation.
Citizen collaboration made it possible to collect information on the movement of people in the place. According to the testimonies collected, some entered and left after having remained inside for a few minutes and others remained inside the premises for longer; These, apparently, “came out in poor condition.”
The agents of the El Campello investigation area were able to verify that, indeed, a commercial activity was being carried out there without authorization, in addition to selling psychotropic substances.
Once the investigation phase was over, the agents searched the premises and the home of the main person under investigation. The Local Police of El Campello participated in the operation, which was in charge of surveillance, and the minutes were drawn up for the exercise of unauthorized commercial activities.
As a result of the searches, the store manager, a 40-year-old Italian man, was arrested and numerous plants of the Lophophora williamsii variety, better known as peyote, and Echinopsis pachanoi, commonly called San Pedro cactus, were seized, from which the the active ingredient of mescaline. Also many bottles with alleged ayahuasca extract, capsules of cactus powder, hashish, hallucinogenic mushrooms, more than half a kilogram of marijuana and several boxes with chocolate cubes with alleged marijuana.
The detainee, who is charged with a crime of drug trafficking and another against public health, has been placed at the disposal of the Investigative Court No. 4 of Alicante, which has ordered his release with the imposition of precautionary measures.
