Buddhist leader in Murcia jailed for drugging followers
The suspect was arrested in a police operation at the Mahasandhi Foundation, located in Abanilla
Police officers belonging to the Cults Group of the National Police Information Headquarters in Madrid, in collaboration with the Provincial Information Brigade of the Headquarters in Murcia, arrested a 50-year-old Spanish man last Friday, November 17, who is an alleged leader of a Buddhist community accused of drugging his followers.
The foundation in which the man taught Buddhist principles is called Mahasandhi and is located near El Tollé in Abanilla.
José Manuel Cánovas Rivera learnt his art in India, where he went when he was just 19-years-old to study under the Hindu masters in 1993. After 12 years there, he returned to his native Murcia to found the Mahasandhi community, and changed his own name to ‘Total Transcendence’.
Sources close to the case explained that this Friday two simultaneous searches took place, one at the headquarters of the Mahasandhi foundation and the other in a warehouse in the industrial estate of Lorquí, where, allegedly, substances were being produced illegally that are suspected alleged medicinal products that the man was supplying to his followers.
During their searches, investigators discovered large quantities of mercury, a toxic substance that the suspect allegedly used to ‘cook’ these ‘medicinal products’, which were then sold to followers.
🚩 La @policia detiene al líder espiritual de una comunidad que suministraba "mercurio purificado" a sus adeptos
— Policía Nacional (@policia) November 22, 2023
🔹Se ha registrado el complejo de la comunidad y se han intervenido casi 200 kg de #mercurio
🔹Se inició investigación por un correo a: sectasdestructivas@policia.es pic.twitter.com/DHI7x1Oa9p
The Mahasandhi leader has been arrested and sent to pre-trial detention accused of the crimes of drug trafficking, crimes against public health, supply and marketing of products and medicines, the crime of professional intrusion, crimes against natural resources and the environment and the crime of illicit association.
Image: Archive
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
