Dutch police discover “visibly startled” garden gnome made entirely of MDMA

Dutch Police said they came across something “special” in a recent drug bust in the southern Netherlands earlier this month.

A “visibly startled” garden gnome made entirely of MDMA was discovered amongst other narcotics during the drug bust, Dongemond Police said.

Calling it a “strange place to keep your garden gnome”, Dongemond Police explained that they decided to test the disguised lawn ornament for narcotics.

“Drugs appear in many shapes and sizes, but every now and then we come across special things," Dongemond Police said (via the BBC).

Read this next: Could the Netherlands become the first country to legalise MDMA?

The gnome weighed 2kg (4lb), which, if our calculations are correct, is equivalent to around 8,000 ecstasy pills weighing an average of 250mg each.

Police said that the gnome himself – which appears grey and of a stone texture – was “visibly startled”, with his hands over his mouth.

The drug bust went ahead in the southern Netherlands, although police didn’t confirm which area. Dongemond Police work in locations including Oosterhout, Geertruidenberg, Drimmelen and Altena.

Read this next: FDA rejects use of MDMA-assisted therapy in the United States

In September, more than a million ecstasy pills were seized in Ibiza, Spain, in what police called “the largest ecstasy drug bust in Spanish history”.

Police said that the organisation responsible was led by Spanish, Italian and Dutch suspects who operate in “different parts of Europe”, smuggling drugs using cars with fake undercarriages.

The police added that the operation was “complicated and difficult” since it straddled “different islands and different countries”.

The drug discovery comes after discussions around the legalisation and regulation of MDMA in the Netherlands, which is currently gathering momentum amidst an interest in a harm reduction-led approach.

[Via BBC]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter