RPG event in Spain on Wed 22nd July 2026

A family clan involved in arms trafficking has been dismantled, seizing a rocket launcher, approximately 40 pistols, shotguns, homemade weapons such as "shotgun canes," bags full of ammunition, and a grenade intended for sale to organized crime. The investigation, led by the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police) in conjunction with the National Police, resulted in nine arrests and the dismantling of a significant terrorist cell in Catalonia. The cell's leader was an inmate who directed operations from his cell at Quatre Camins prison, located about 30 kilometers from Barcelona.

The investigation began in January of this year based on information obtained from another case involving the dismantling of a violent youth gang (the Trinitarios) in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). The raids took place on July 7th, with nine searches conducted at the homes of the suspects. In the operation, officers located two large caches of weapons: the first, containing 38 Glock-brand replica pistols, 140 rounds of ammunition, and cash. In the second, they found a rocket launcher, a revolver, four shotguns, two bulletproof vests, and a ballistic shield, as well as a large quantity of ammunition of various calibers.

In another of the raids, they also found another revolver, blank-firing guns, magazines, a Taser device, and an inert hand grenade.

The criminal network was led by a 37-year-old man who directed the transactions from the prison, where he had been serving a sentence since 2009 for homicide. Police officers searched his cell. He was the leader and head of the core group, directing operations from prison in collaboration with his wife and daughter, who lived in a town in the Penedès region, where they carried out most of their operations. The organization was comprised of a second tier of collaborators who worked in arms trafficking to groups linked to organized crime. In fact, the network sold its arsenals in two ways: firstly, the family (the leader's wife and daughters) were responsible for guarding the weapons at home and in the family's usual vehicle, while the daughter recorded videos to "advertise" the merchandise to other criminal networks; and they also operated on demand, thanks to collaborating intermediaries who were responsible for acquiring the weapons that other clans needed. In the final stages of the investigation, during a surveillance operation at the home of one of the suspects, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) met with agents of the National Police, who had identified arms sales dating back to September 2025.

The raids were carried out on July 7 at residences located in L'Hospitalet, Montcada i Reixac, Canovelles, Badia del Vallès, Piera, Pla del Penedès, Barcelona, ​​and Reus (Tarragona).