Holiday makers in caravans are being warned of sleeping gas attacks.
The Camping and Caravanning club urged tourists to fit narcotic gas monitors to their vehicles and avoid spending the night at service stations.
Reports have been mounting about families who were drugged with sleeping gas piped into their motor homes before thieves broke in to snatch cash, passports, jewellery, credit cards, and mobile devices.
Initial reports were predominately concerning vehicles parked in overnight rest stops along motorways in France.
Victims report that they were informed by French police that East European gangs were responsible and were moving gradually south from Paris.
Heresay evidence says that similar robberies have been carried out in Spain.
Narcotic gas detectors, which sound an alarm if ether gas is detected, can cost £99.
However, the Royal College of Anaesthetists said it was dubious that gas could be responsible. “It would not be possible to render someone unconscious by blowing ether, chloroform or any ...volatile anaesthetic agents through the window of a motor home without their knowledge, even if they were sleeping.”
It said that ether is so pungent that it could be detected days later. It is also difficult to administer. Other agents would require large quantities out of the financial reach for the average thief, even if it was possible to obtain them.
Comments
Don't all rush out to your nearest motorhome / caravan park but all a dodgy need do is access the side panel holding the gas bottles. Often unlocked as when travelling the gas is usually disconnected. Being re-connected to cook the dinner at the campsite / layby - then left on as the campers tumble into bed.
Then *** the pipe. Vent it back in through an open window.
Remember though :
a) don't do this at home and
b) always get the motorhome / caravan owners permission first.
c) This is just a suggestion. I have no first hand knowledge whether this would work and strongly suggest you find yourself a proper job as this is highly seasonal work like deckchair attendants. Or,even better, get yourself an education - how about gas installer ? (Not least as there is unlikely to be any pension arrangements unless you sort them out yourself.)
Butane will act as a knockout gas, and victims will wake with a splitting headache.
Victims I talked to reported this.
Of course anesthetists don't use butane! it's poisonous and explosive too.
Kids in the UK have been using it as a cheap high for a long time.