CHENNAI: Narcotics Control Bureau (
NCB
) sleuths have thwarted a
trance party
that was to be held in
Tiruvannamalai
by arresting a
Russian couple
. They seized psychedelic substances such as amanita muscaria (fly agaric),
ayahuasca
(a concoction made of herbs from Amazon forests), kambo (
frog poison
) and psilocybin (magic mushrooms).
In total, 239 gram of potentially fatal substances were seized from the couple, said NCB.
The couple in their 40s have been in India since 2022 after arriving on business visa separately and have organised the trance parties known as ayahuasca retreat ceremonies in Rishikesh, Manali and Goa in the last two years, said P Aravindhan, NCB director for Chennai zone.
"They were planning to conduct a similar party in Tiruvannamalai from June 15 to 17, but we arrested them beforehand based on information," said the official.
Ayahuasca retreat ceremonies are popular in South America where it is promoted as a medicinal and spiritual event. Participants go on a trance as ayahuasca has a natural hallucinogen known as DMT.
A Dutch national was arrested a few years ago for organising such retreats in Hyderabad as possession of DMT is punishable under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
The NCB said that the couple had sourced the substances from Belarus and other countries through couriers and organised the retreats in India.
"They have sent links to enrol in the retreats through Telegram. They charged a fee equivalent to US$1,500 for a two-day retreat," said the NCB director.
In the event usually held in private resorts, the participants will be administered the substances by way of sniffing and rubbing on the porous skin.
The NCB has withheld the couple's names as they have to arrest a few more suspects in the case. Further investigations were on to ascertain how many people had enrolled to participate in the event planned in Tiruvannamalai.
English (US) ·