By Vickie Scullard • Updated: 11 Nov 2022 • 19:11
Two 'shamans' arrested after 'advertising ayahuasca rituals' on Facebook in Barcelona. Credit: Policia Nacional/Twitter.
The pair, a man and a woman, advertised their “celebration of rituals” across social media, which included the consumption of a variety of psychoactive substances offered, such as ayahuasca, kambó, toad bufo, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Ayahuasca is a South American psychoactive drink traditionally used socially or as a ceremonial or shamanic spiritual medicine.
Presenting herself as a “medicine woman”, the arrested female alluded to the substances she supplied, and was assisted in shamanic celebrations by the so-called “medicine musician” male.
The National Police arrested two people in Berguedá, Barcelona, on November 5, for their alleged participation in crimes against public health.
🚩Detenidas 2 personas que organizaban rituales de tipo chamánico con consumo de ayahuasca en la provincia de #Barcelona Gracias a la #ColaboraciónCiudadana, a través del correo ✉️ sectasdestructivas@policia.es, se puso en conocimiento de los agentes la existencia de esta #secta pic.twitter.com/EwjxUHOEzT — Policía Nacional (@policia) November 11, 2022
🚩Detenidas 2 personas que organizaban rituales de tipo chamánico con consumo de ayahuasca en la provincia de #Barcelona
Gracias a la #ColaboraciónCiudadana, a través del correo ✉️ sectasdestructivas@policia.es, se puso en conocimiento de los agentes la existencia de esta #secta pic.twitter.com/EwjxUHOEzT
— Policía Nacional (@policia) November 11, 2022
The officers intervened when a ritual was about to begin and psychoactive substances “with a serious health risk” were offered to its participants.
A press release said: “Among those arrested is a woman who called herself a shamanic priestess, psychotherapist and coach, who offered different techniques such as reiki, NLP or akashic records.
“She was presented as ‘medicine woman’ in allusion to the substances she supplied and was assisted in the celebrations by the so-called ‘medicine musician’.
“During the ceremonies, rituals were performed whose main objective was the consumption of ayahuasca, which they called ‘medicine’.
“These are prohibited psychoactive substances, the consumption of which poses a high risk to physical and mental health, were also illegally supplied for profit.”
During the operation, a search was carried out, with cash and different – presumably psychoactive – substances, such as ayahuasca, snuff, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and San Pedro, were seized.
In addition, more than 700 grams of marijuana have been seized, as well as other effects of interest for the investigation.
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A journalist of more than 12 years from Manchester, UK, Vickie now lives in Madrid and works as a news writer for the Euro Weekly News.
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