gas attacks

[Guest roger]

It realy annoys me when people write in not believing people are gassed.In july 2000 my wife and I were moving jobs from Italy to France,we stopped at an aire near Narbonne.We arrived at 8pm parked next to 2 caravans had a meal and went to bed.Next thing I remembered was waking up on the floor not knowing where I was,the cab door was open I looked around and saw my wife who looked as if she had been beat up.All of our clothes had been taken,credit cards,mobile phone,money,and even our glasses.A van was still next to us,I borrowed his phone to call our manager to cancel our cards and send us money.On seeing police in Narbonne they told us they were Kosovans,and they were having 2 or 3 gassings a night on the Riviera,and to not to park in aires,but go to atown or village

[Guest Clive]

Thanks. This is the very first "first hand" report I have ever seen, all the rest were hearsay. Take care

[Guest martin]

Did you discover what agent they use and the method of administration?

[Guest Norma]

As Clive says - at long last. Roger, I quite understand you being annoyed by our sceptical response but you are the first 'first-hand' reporter. You say your wife 'looked as if she had been beaten up'. Was she physically attacked or was she looking 'hellish' from the effects of the gas. The only problem we have ever had was in Agde, resulting is a broken door window but thankfully no entry. Not sure whether it was the alarm or the dog. But we would have lost the dog too, along with our belongings. The friends we were visiting had a cat - so no we couldn't take her. That coast line worrys me a lot now. I hope you have recovered from the awfulness of it all and it hasn't put you off. All the best and thank you for letting us know.

[Guest Clive]

Cheers Norma, One of our favourite places is Agde, La Tamerissiere to be precise. Been staying there for years and never had a problem. Lopts of friends there who are resident half the year. Moved to Agde after they started development of a small fishing village called Marsellian Plage. That was a long time ago. The only problem we have ever had was in Italy Pompai (how do you spell that?)

[Guest Mel E]

Well Roger, my response to Kerry below really did get you going!!! But as all the other replies state, yours' is the FIRST first-hand story. Can I risk upsetting you further by asking what security systems you had in place? Did you have a perimeter alarm on the doors and set, for example - my own has scared away potential intruders simply because of the hellish noise it makes.

[Guest Bill Ord]

The usual story on gassing attacks is that an ether type gas is used of the type used to start diesel engines, used to be called easy start. Can't be long before we hear of some almighty explosions if this type of gas is injected into vans with the fridges running on gas as there will be a naked flame present. Bill Ord

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Roger As another of the confirmed sceptics, thank you for the first hand account. Did you ever discover what was the gas used and how it was introduced into your 'van? I'm still intrigued by both these points, since if we knew, we could all avoid leaving ourselves vulnerable and could also seek out some slightly more specific alarm/detector. Sorry to have been the source of annoyance. As others have said, so many reports but until you, all hearsay. Many thanks Brian

[Guest roger]

I am afraid I do not know the gas that was used,nor did the police.But what ever it was it took 6 weeks to get out of my system.I was at fault when I parked for the night as I never put a chain across from door to door.When we parked I noticed the police go by a couple of times,and got lazy and left it off.My van was a C class Winnie,and the police told me they spray through the vent,give you 20 minutes and then break in.Apperently they do not attack vans that have children in them,perhaps the gas could have tragic effects on the young?But it has not put us off camping,just more aware when we park.

[Guest peter goddard]

I think that you will find "Easystart" is based on ether, which is why it is used for these attacks of course.

[Guest Brian Kirby]

There seem to be three main groups of narcotic gases. Broadly, these are chloroform, ether and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Peter and Bill seem to be on the right track. Bradex Easy Start, part of dear old Holts empire, principally contains diethyl ether and di-isopropyl ether. Both are classified as irritants, and both can anaesthetise if in sufficient concentration and exposure is long enough. Easy start comes in handy aerosols and, being principally used as a cold weather starting aid for diesels (but also for starting other reluctant engines) wouldn't necessarily arouse suspicion if discovered in someone's car/van. It is highly flammible and heavier than air, tending to concentrate at low level. The normal aid to recovery is fresh air. Symptoms include nasal and throat irritation, headache, nausea, and of course unconciousness. It is nasty stuff. Alarms would need to be designed to detect ether and it would not necessarily be detected by CO2 or LPG detectors. Price of appropriate alarm: approx £100. Problem is, once aletred by the alarm, you must get to frash air to avoid unconsiousness. That, of course, is where the villans will be. That just seems to be a dilemma that has little solution. Overall, therefore, the best remedy seems to be to avoid isolated and poorly lit areas, and not to overnight on motorway service or picnic areas at all (from which attackers can easily escape if spooked). This would apply all across Europe and is not limited to France. Second line of defence seems to be to look at possible routes of injection for the gas (e.g. any vents that open directly to the interior) and see what you can do to prevent their use. Hope this may be of some help. Brian

[Guest fjmike]

Regarding feeding gas through the vents, I assume this is the vehicle vents which are combined with the heater. If so would not closing this vent (as you do in the winter to prevent draughts)would either prevent or slow down the gas from entering

[Guest Brian Kirby]

I guess which vents might be closed or blocked will depend a bit on base vehicle type and conversion layout. Putting the base vehicle heating/ventilation system into recriculation mode should shut off the vents at the front. However, there are other fresh air inlets that provide permanent habitation ventilation. These are often at the base of the habitation door and on the roof, in some cases via the rooflights. In some cases the gas drop outs may also provide a route to the 'van interior. Additionally, in many cases 'fridges are not properly installed, so that the 'fridge vents also provide a route in. Generally, 'fridge vents should not communicate to the 'van interior so, if they do, they can beneficially be baffled off as advised by the 'fridge maker. The gas drop outs must not be blocked, for obvious reasons, and the permanent ventilation grilles should not be blocked or necessary occupancy ventilation would be lost. However, I think trying to block vents is the worng approach. The more freely the vehicle ventilates the more difficult it will be to get the concentration of narcotic necessary for anasthesia. Being extreme, having all the windows and doors open would defeat any attempt at anasthesia by injecting narcotic gas, though it would of course make robbery by other means a lot easier! It seems that what is needed is the maximum of ventilation consistent with physical protection. That way the gas will leak away as fast as/faster than it is injected. I do wonder if it might be better to install a low mounted extract fan (of suitably flameproof type, these gases are highly flammable) wired across a narcotic detector, in preference to just an alarm. Then, when/if gas is detected, the fan would come on and increase the ventilation rate to purge the 'van of the narcotic. By standing up when thus alerted you should keep your mouth and nostrils clear of the heavier than air narcotic, which should be sinking to the floor under its own weight and exiting via the fan. An external strobe with audible alarm at the same time would probably frighten most assailants away. You'd then have the time to properly awaken and rub the sleep from your eyes before doing anything more, reasonably secure that by now you'd have annoyed half the neighbourhood and weren't in immediate danger of anasthesia by remaining inside. Personally, I still think primary security is the best protection. Just avoid the areas where the attacks seem to have taken place. These are almost invariably, as reported, motorway rest areas. Don't get confused by the French use of the term "aire". The word is used in two senses: there are those aires that are intended for overnight stops with caravans/motothomes. There are a few of these on autoroutes, but not many. Then there is the autoroute aire, the great majority of which are for refreshment/refuelling stops or for breaks from driving or for picnicing. These aires were/are not intended for overnighting and should never be used in this way. The problem with these, latter, aires is that they are mostly remote from towns, and also at some distance from motorway access points. Thus, even if they pull out all the stops, the police will take some time to arrive, having probably come a town some miles distant and then needing to drive to the nearest motorway access before they can get to the relevent aire. The robbers, however, just have to get back onto the motorway to disappear into the night. They can then leave at any exit they choose and will appear as no more than normal travellers. That ease of exit/escape seems to be the appeal, to them, of these areas. Hope this may be of interest. Brian

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

Having been an enthusiastic user of "Easystart" in the 1960s to persuade my cantankerous kit-car's motor into life, I vividly recall the gouts of ether-fuelled flame from the carburettor when the engine decided to fire. Anyone dumb enough to pump highly inflammable gas through fridge vents when the fridge has been switched to LPG operation (as seems very probable during casual overnight parking) will deserve everything they get.

[Guest Brian Kirby]

True But the occupants will probaly get roasted as well! If these attacks are taking place from time to time, as seems the case, it can only be a matter of time. Hope it isn't anyone we know! Brian