Guadalhorce valley warehouse still storing largest cache of 'laughing gas' seized in Europe is burgled for the fifth time

The Guardia Civil called it the largest seizure of laughing gas in Europe, in total, 21,302 litres of nitrous oxide prepared for distribution. The goods were stacked on 20 pallets inside a trailer in a warehouse on the La Rosa industrial estate in Alhaurín el Grande that the traffickers had rented as a warehouse and logistics centre.

A little over a year has passed - the operation dates back to March 2024 - and the cache is still in exactly the same place. It has not been transferred to a judicial deposit, nor has it been destroyed or reused. "It's a powder keg in the centre of the industrial estate. If a thief comes in smoking... " said the owner of the warehouse, Francisco Ramírez, who rented it out in good faith - "they told me it was for a parcel delivery company" - and who is just as trapped as the nitrous oxide he keeps within the walls of his warehouse.

In fact, the only new development is that the cache is slowly being stripped, as the industrial unit is not guarded. This week the warehouse was burgled again, for the fifth time. The latest incident happened in the early hours of Thursday 19 June. The Guardia Civil received a call alerting them that a burglary was taking place in a warehouse on the industrial estate.

A Guardia Civil patrol and another from the Local Police force in Alhaurín el Grande went to the scene and located two suspects. One of them was intercepted on the spot, while the second one ran off into the countryside. The officers chased him for a kilometre until they caught up with him and arrested him. He was carrying the keys to a rental van which was outside the door of the building.

The officers found that the vehicle in question had a broken window and bent number plates. Inside were 100 bottles of nitrous oxide that had been stolen from inside the warehouse, where they had been sealed and at the disposal of the court since June last year.

Sources close to the case suggest that this year, during the different raids that have taken place, around five pallets of the 20 pallets originally seized by the Guardia Civil have been stolen. If confirmed, a quarter of the merchandise would have disappeared.

The matter is not without controversy because nobody has yet come up with a solution to the nitrous oxide bottles that are still stored in the warehouse of Francisco Ramírez, who is getting really desperate. Not only has he not been paid the rent for the warehouse for 15 months, but he is also having to pay for electricity, water, rubbish and sewage charges. He has had to turn to a lawyer to intercede with the court so that they stop occupying his property.

The 21,302 litres of nitrous oxide were seized by the Guardia Civil on 22 March 2024 when they intercepted a trailer and they were deposited in the warehouse from which the vehicle departed. That same night, only a few hours after the seizure was made, the first theft took place. Four more robberies followed and, according to the owner, some of them could have been committed by the same organisation from which the stash was seized. In one of the burglaries, they crashed a vehicle and smashed the gate of the warehouse.

The containers of nitrous oxide were placed at the disposal of the Coín courts, but in reality, the problem is not judicial. In July of last year, the investigator of the case issued an order authorising the destruction of the bottles, and from then on the real problem came to light: the plants where drugs seized by the police are destroyed are not capable of handling this gas.

Throughout this time, a multitude of reports have been issued by administrations and companies, including the provincial commission of the judicial police, as well as the general council of the judiciary (CGPJ) and the intelligence centre against terrorism and organised crime (CITCO). There are also several reports from specialised companies. If it is decided to reuse it, it would cost more than 200,000 euros. If it is decided to destroy it, it would cost more than 700,000 euros. To date, no one has taken responsibility for one or the other.

Laughing gas has become a fashionable drug in Europe, cheap and popular among young people, although its use can have serious consequences, as the ministry of health pointed out in a report dedicated to explaining the dangers of this substance.

Among other complications, it carries an associated risk of asphyxiation due to its compressed liquefied gas nature. Functioning as a dissociative anaesthetic, it may also cause hallucinations, uncontrolled vocalisation, altered perception, spatial and temporal disorientation or reduced sensitivity to pain.

It can also lead to serious health problems, especially if it causes a lack of oxygen to the brain. Among other consequences, it can lead to fainting or even respiratory problems. Continued consumption can also damage the spinal cord and even lead to death.

If this substance is used for several days in a row or intensively in one session, vitamin B12 levels in the body are reduced. This deficiency could lead to neurological and cognitive problems.