More than 22 tons of nitrous oxide were discovered in a heavy truck during a checkpoint operation on the A89 highway in the Corrèze department of France. According to information provided by the Tulle prosecutor's office to AFP, the seizure took place on October 27 at a toll booth in Saint-Germain-les-Vergnes.
Prosecutor François Tessier stated that the vehicle was transporting over 4,000 bottles of the gas. The authorities have not disclosed the origin or destination of the shipment. The driver, identified as a 28-year-old man whose nationality remains unspecified, was placed in police custody and subsequently released while investigations continue.
This incident highlights a persistent trafficking issue involving nitrous oxide, which is legally used in culinary and medical fields but has been diverted for its short-term psychoactive effects despite significant health risks. Under the Ripost law, the sale of this gas will be prohibited starting February 1, 2027, and inhalation will become punishable by up to one year in prison.
This seizure follows a record-breaking operation in September where approximately 30 tons of nitrous oxide were intercepted at a toll booth in Montauban. That earlier case involved 6,000 bottles with an estimated market value of 665,000 euros and led to a raid in the Gers department.
Sources: Le Figaro.