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Date Published: 21/11/2023

Buddhist leader in Murcia jailed for drugging followers

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The suspect was arrested in a police operation at the Mahasandhi Foundation, located in Abanilla

Buddhist leader in Murcia jailed for drugging followers

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

🔹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
— Policía Nacional (@policia) November 22, 2023

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

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