Barcelona readers following the African swine fever case should note that Mossos d'Esquadra and the Guardia Civil carried out a second court-ordered search at IRTA-CReSA in Cerdanyola del Vallès on Tuesday. The inquiry is trying to trace the origin of the outbreak in Catalonia, with clear implications for the livestock sector and related businesses across the area.
IRTA-CReSA said on Wednesday that the search was part of new judicial proceedings ordered by Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 2 in Cerdanyola del Vallès. In its statement, the centre said the operation at its facilities lasted more than 10 hours. You can read the centre’s note on the IRTA website.
Police sources also confirmed that investigators searched a laboratory in Madrid. So far, Mossos and the Guardia Civil have not published a detailed public account of what was seized or which line of inquiry they are following.
The Catalan government has urged caution while the investigation continues. In a statement on the Govern de Catalunya website, agriculture minister Òscar Ordeig said preliminary findings should be treated carefully while European experts examine the outbreak’s origin.
IRTA-CReSA has also published a separate note saying the centre welcomes confirmation that it was not the source of the outbreak, while the judicial and expert reviews continue. That does not close the case, and police are still investigating. For more local context on how BARNA covers official updates and public-interest cases, see our Community and Sport pages.
As of Wednesday, the confirmed facts were simple, a second search had taken place at IRTA-CReSA, a Madrid laboratory was also searched, and the court in Cerdanyola del Vallès is overseeing the investigation into the outbreak’s origin. For official background, readers can also check the Generalitat de Catalunya and Barcelona City Council websites.
