International

Spanish police said Friday they have dismantled an international network suspected of smuggling nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” and contraband tobacco.

The agents confiscated 5,184 liters of nitrous oxide in a warehouse and at the home of the alleged owner of the trucks used by the gang in the southern province of Malaga, the police said in a statement.

Authorities also seized more than 2.5 million smuggled cigarettes from a truck in the eastern province of Alicante while members of the group were unloading the shipment, the statement added. Police released video showing officers unloading dozens of boxes from the truck, as well as images of a warehouse containing hundreds of canisters.

Authorities said the ring, made up of Spanish and Eastern European citizens, used legitimate shipments to France and other European countries to transport nitrous oxide and smuggled tobacco.

Seven alleged members of the network were arrested.

“The suspects’ movements were documented using surveillance devices and recording equipment,” police said.

Nitrous oxide is used medically as an anesthetic in dentistry and medicine. Recreational use, which produces feelings of euphoria, relaxation and dissociation from reality, has gained popularity, especially among young people.

Getting high by inhaling nitrous oxide has emerged as a dangerous trend on social networks. News themezone Confirmed found dozens of videos showing people inhaling nitrous oxide on TikTok, YouTube and X with views in the hundreds of thousands. In some videos, the gas is inhaled as part of a challenge or challenge on social media. Other videos feature songs dedicated to the gas effect.

Dr. Madeline Renny, a pediatric emergency physician at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, told News themezone last year that even a single use of the gas could cause major health problems or even prove fatal.

“There can be a variety of symptoms, from headache, lightheadedness, palpitations, fainting and then, in some cases, death,” Renny said. In the United Kingdom, the death of a university student in 2023 has been linked to nitrous oxide, BBC News reported.

Several European countries have introduced bans or strict controls on its recreational use.