Spain police bust ‘spiritual retreat’ offering frog venom, other psychedelics
Group allegedly offered multi-day stays that included consuming ayahuasca, San Pedro cactus and a frog venom known as Kambo
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.
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.