A 31-year-old airline passenger arriving in Athens from Amsterdam last Friday was allegedly found to be smuggling mushrooms into the country — no ordinary mushrooms but a variety containing psychotropic substances that produce effects similar to those of LSD.

The man, whose name was not given, was carrying 256 grams of the substance which he was allegedly planning to sell in Greece. The mushrooms contain psilocybin and psilocin, which produce hallucinations and a loss of the senses of time, space and danger.

It was the first time such a large quantity of this particular substance has been seized in Greece, police said.

Also, narcotics squad officials said yesterday the Netherlands had become cocaine’s gateway to Europe, following the success Greek officials have had in seizing large quantities of the drug.