Police arrested four suspects and seized 1,230 canisters of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, during a raid on a suspected drug distribution operation in Tangier on Tuesday evening.
Acting on intelligence provided by the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), judicial police officers also recovered more than MAD 624,000 in cash, 3,570 packs of smuggled tobacco and 22 kilograms of maâssel, a flavored shisha tobacco.
A passenger vehicle suspected of being used in the alleged illegal activity was also seized.
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The four suspects were arrested on suspicion of possessing and selling narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Nitrous oxide, which has legitimate medical uses as an anesthetic, is also misused as an inhalant for its intoxicating effects.
The suspects have been placed in police custody pending further investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office.
Investigators are seeking to establish the circumstances of the alleged operation and determine whether other suspects or a wider distribution network were involved.
