Badalona is at the centre of this case, after National Police arrested a man on 9 June in Gorg-Progrès when they found 225.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden in his car.
For Barcelona readers, the key point is that this was a local operation on city streets. If you spot suspicious driving or a vehicle linked to crime, the practical step is to call the police and avoid intervening.
According to the National Police, officers from the Sant Adrià de Besòs Local Police Station and the Provincial Judicial Police Brigade of Barcelona were monitoring the area when they saw a Spanish-registered car driving slowly and changing lanes without signalling. They checked the vehicle through CIMACC, the Barcelona command, communication and control centre, and found an alert from French authorities asking for discreet surveillance, information gathering and identification of the occupants, plus checks on any cargo.
Police said the car had no insurance and no valid ITV, the roadworthiness test required in Spain. The driver was reluctant to cooperate and tried to flee with the engine running, but officers stopped him and removed the keys. A first search found two sports bags on the back seat, filled with cocaine packages marked with an F-1 logo.
The car was then taken to police facilities, where officers found a hydraulic hidden compartment in the rear containing two more sports bags with similar packages. In total, police seized four bags and 168 packages weighing 225.5 kilograms, according to the National Police.
The driver was charged with a public health offence, specifically drug trafficking. After appearing before the duty investigating court, a judge ordered provisional imprisonment. For official updates, use the National Police website. For more Barcelona local coverage, see our Community page and Sport page.
