Nitrous oxide seizure in Corrèze, France, Digi Mart USA News (Corrèze, France): More than 22 tonnes of nitrous oxide were discovered in the cargo of a heavy goods vehicle checked at the end of October on the A89 motorway in Corrèze, the Tulle prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday, November 3.
The truck was inspected on October 27 at a toll booth in Saint-Germain-les-Vergnes and was carrying “more than 4,000 bottles” of nitrous oxide, according to prosecutor François Tessier. The prosecutor’s office did not specify where the cargo came from or where it was going.
The 28-year-old driver, whose nationality was also not specified, was taken into police custody and then released. The prosecutor’s office said the investigation is continuing.
Under the Ripost law, the sale of the gas will be banned, and inhaling it will be punishable by up to one year in prison starting February 1, 2027.
In September, a record seizure of about 30 tonnes of the gas was made during the inspection of a truck at a toll booth in Montauban, followed by a search in the Gers department. That seizure involved 6,000 bottles with a market value of 665,000 euros, according to the local prosecutor’s office.
Nitrous oxide is used in cooking and medicine, but its use has been diverted because of its short-lived psychoactive effects after inhalation, despite serious health risks. According to Santé publique France, 10% of the 800 reports linked to nitrous oxide use in 2023 involved minors.
