Four men aged 36, 39, 48, and 49 were arrested on 21 September by the Mossos d'Esquadra after being caught transporting over 150 kilograms of drugs and a submachine gun across Barcelona and Sant Joan Despí. The operation began when plainclothes officers from the Sants-Montjuïc Urban Crime Group observed suspicious activity near Ventura Plaja street, where two men directed a third to load large cardboard boxes from a building into a vehicle.
As the two vehicles departed, police intercepted them. One driver ignored orders to stop, fled on foot, jumped over a police car, and discarded his mobile phone in an attempt to destroy evidence, though officers recovered it. Inside his car, officers found 2 kilograms of cocaine, 20 kilograms of marijuana, and 6 kilograms of hashish.
A fourth suspect was arrested nearby while returning on foot after stashing drugs in a vehicle. In the second intercepted car, officers discovered keys to a rental van and 1,800 euros in cash. The two occupants claimed to be tourists.
Van Found with 117kg of Drugs and Weapon
Using the geolocation system of the rental vehicle, officers traced it to a gas station in Sant Joan Despí. Inside, they found 10 boxes containing 104 kilograms of marijuana and 13 kilograms of hashish, totaling 117 kilograms of narcotics, valued at over €220,000. Also recovered was a submachine gun with cartridges and a sound suppressor.
Most of the detainees have prior criminal records for similar offences. The only one without previous convictions is now charged with drug trafficking and serious resistance to authority due to his conduct during arrest.
The suspects were brought before a judge on 22 September, accused of drug trafficking and illegal possession of weapons and explosives.
Operation Led by Regional Police
The arrests were carried out by agents from the Barcelona Regional Public Health Investigation Unit and the Sants-Montjuïc Urban Crime Group. The operation highlights ongoing efforts by the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police force, to disrupt organised drug networks operating in urban and suburban areas.
Primary sources: mossos.gencat.cat, sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es. Reported by apdnoticies.com, modernetdigital.cat, lapremsadelbaix.es, europesays.com, Vilapress, elcaso.elnacional.cat, llobregatnoticies.com, liniaxarxa.cat.
