Authorities have uncovered a large stash of suspected illegal alcohol and nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” in a business courtyard in Iraklio, Crete, arresting the 62-year-old owner of a liquor store.
The joint operation by Greek Police and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) took place Wednesday, following information that the business was supplying the market with drinks of questionable origin and quality.
Inspectors found more than 3,000 packages containing an estimated 3,900 liters of unidentified alcoholic liquid, including hundreds of five-liter containers and one-liter bottles with content resembling vodka, gin and liqueur. No receipts or documents showing that the required taxes and duties had been paid were provided.
Authorities were also investigating the origin of the products, as many bottles carried labels from a distillery in the Peloponnese.
The warehouse also contained around 660 metal canisters of nitrous oxide, enough to fill an estimated 18,000 balloons, along with 4,000 empty balloons. Their presence led authorities to conclude that facilities for dispensing and distributing the gas had been set up.
