The Spanish police announced on Friday the dismantling of an international network involved in the smuggling of nitrous oxide, known as 'laughing gas', as well as contraband cigarettes. According to police, officers seized 5,184 liters of nitrous oxide from a warehouse and the home of the suspected owner of the trucks used by the network to transport the contraband goods in the southern province of Malaga. The statement also said that police also seized more than 2.5 million contraband cigarettes from a truck during its unloading by network members in the eastern province of Alicante. Spanish authorities indicated that the network, composed of Spanish citizens and citizens from Eastern Europe, used legitimate cargo shipments to import nitrous oxide and contraband cigarettes into France and other European countries. 'Nitrous oxide is used in dentistry as an anesthetic, but it has recently become popular for inhalation, especially among young people, as it produces a feeling of euphoria, relaxation, and detachment from reality,' the statement said.
