Remand detention upheld for organisers of ayahuasca "retreat" at Hunedoara guesthouse
A Danish man and a Peruvian remain in remand detention after the Alba Iulia Court of Appeal rejected their appeals. They are suspected of trafficking in high-risk drugs at a "spiritual retreat" in Hunedoara.
Alba Iulia Court of Appeal rejects appeals of two foreign nationals arrested for drug trafficking at "Amazon Weekend"
A Danish citizen and a Peruvian citizen remain in remand detention for 30 days after a panel of the Alba Iulia Court of Appeal definitively rejected on Wednesday the appeals filed against the arrest warrants issued in their names. Digi24 reports that the two are suspected of trafficking in high-risk drugs following a "spiritual retreat" organised at a guesthouse in the town of Boșorod, Hunedoara County.
The event, promoted on social media as an experience through which participants would "reconnect with themselves", attracted the attention of DIICOT investigators. According to prosecutors, participants were recruited following interviews organised in the summer of this year, with access to these permitted only on the basis of a recommendation. The participation fee varied between 590 and 650 euros per person and included the ceremonies themselves, accommodation and meals.
The investigation shows that on 27 August, the two foreign citizens brought high-risk drugs into the country. "Investigations revealed that during the 'rituals' high-risk drugs were to be distributed and consumed, made available by 'shamans', in the form of Ayahuasca, which contains DMT — a high-risk drug — and 'San Pedro' — the popular name for a cactus of the species Echinopsis pachanoi, which contains mescaline, a psychedelic substance that constitutes a high-risk drug", DIICOT stated.
Last Friday, police officers and anti-drug prosecutors carried out a search at the guesthouse hosting the event. The investigators discovered more than 6.6 litres of liquid substance containing mescaline, several containers with hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocin and psilocybin), various vessels and envelopes with liquid and plant substances undergoing expert examination, precision scales, as well as devices intended for consumption through snorting and inhalation.
"At the moment the investigators entered the interior of the guesthouse, 'teas' containing high-risk drugs were already prepared for consumption in its kitchen. Additionally, in the room intended for rituals involving the consumption of substances, 11 mattresses were found laid out, containers for vomiting after consumption of teas containing high-risk drugs, candles and various decorative objects", prosecutors specified.
On Sunday, the judge for rights and freedoms of Hunedoara Court ordered the remand detention of the two foreign citizens. With regard to the Romanian citizen who participated in organising the event, the measure of judicial supervision was ordered. The decision of the Alba Iulia Court of Appeal, by which the appeals of the Danish and Peruvian citizens were rejected, is final.
Source: Digi24