MANILA -- Seven Vietnamese nationals were arrested on Saturday, after operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation conducted a raid on a Pasay club that sells balloons filled with laughing gas or nitrous oxide.

The NBI recovered oxide tanks and used plastic balloons from the club after the raid conducted around 2:00 a.m.

According to the Filipinos who work as waiters at the club, they had no idea that the balloons contained laughing gas.

They said they only served food and drinks to customers while the Vietnamese employees are the ones who take customers’ orders and prepare the balloons.

“Ang (nagta-take ng order), Vietnamese. Bibigay samin yung resibo then kami ang magdadala sa pagkukunan namin ng order. Halimbawa, alak o anong drinks. Then pag may order na lobo, separate yung order na yun, may mga cards. Hindi rin namin alam na bawal yung kung anong laman nun. Ang alam namin, oxygen lang,” said the supervisor of the waiters.

But he admitted that it made him curious as to why customers would inhale the air inside the balloons.

“Ang (nagta-take ng order), Vietnamese. Bibigay samin yung resibo then kami ang magdadala sa pagkukunan namin ng order. Halimbawa, alak o anong drinks. Then pag may order na lobo, separate yung order na yun, may mga cards. Hindi rin namin alam na bawal yung kung anong laman nun. Ang alam namin, oxygen lang,” said the supervisor of the waiters.

But he admitted that it made him curious as to why customers would inhale the air inside the balloons.

“Ang ginagawa kasi nila nainom together with the balloon o lobo so di namin alam kung sa alak ba sila nahihilo or sa balloon kasi halos pinagsasabay nila e. Depende rin kasi minsan marami sila magtake ng balloon… Yung iba nahihilo, sinasabayan nila ng sounds, yung tugtog, parang nag-eenjoy sila. Ako inoobserve ko lang sila (waiters) pano sila magserve ng customer kasi dun kami kumikita. Ang habol talaga namin dun, tips,” he added.

One of the suspects, meanwhile, claimed that they also just serve drinks to customers.

The owner of the establishment is still at large but authorities have gotten a hold of his name.

The NBI says, just like the other suspects, he will also be charged for Presidential Decree No. 1619, which penalizes the use, possession or the unauthorized sale of volatile substances.

One Filipino, who worked as the club’s security guard, will also be charged for using an unregistered firearm.

The NBI is currently coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration regarding the possible deportation of the foreign nationals involved, including those who worked as dancers at the club.

NBI AOTCD chief Atty. Jerome Bomediano says they are currently monitoring other clubs allegedly selling nitrous oxide to customers.

He notes, nitrous oxide is typically used as an anesthaetic in medical and dental clinics, and that they will the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) to consider classifying it as a controlled substance so its proliferation would cease.

"Sa abroad marami na ang ganyan. Ito na ang ginagawang recreational drug, so binabantayan natin na hindi na kumalat," Atty. Bomediano said.

He also warned that improper inhaling of nitrous oxide could have serious health implications.

-- Reports from Andrea Taguines and Raffy Santos, ABS-CBN News