A joint operation by the Civil Guard and Urban Guard has dismantled a logistics network in Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramenet that supplied counterfeit goods to illegal street vendors in Barcelona.
The Civil Guard and Urban Guard of Barcelona have dealt a heavy blow to the illegal 'top manta' business with the dismantling of a distribution network that operated from municipalities in the metropolitan area. The operation, which has resulted in two arrests and three under investigation, has led to the seizure of nearly 40,000 counterfeit products whose value in the legal market would exceed three million euros.
The investigations began after detecting a constant flow of counterfeit goods arriving in Barcelona from warehouses located in Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramenet. Agents managed to trace the route of the products, which were distributed from these collection centres to tourist areas and the Barcelona coastline, where they were sold at illegal street stalls.
Searches were carried out in several homes, storage rooms, and a parcel centre located in Castellbisbal. Thousands of clothing items, football kits from national teams and clubs, high-end sports footwear, and bottles of perfume were seized. All the material was imitation and lacked the corresponding permits from the original brands.
The logistical infrastructure of the network was perfectly organized. From the warehouses in Badalona and Santa Coloma, batches of goods were prepared that were then distributed to street vendors. The investigation has revealed that the network had a parallel accounting system and a supplier system that allowed for a constant supply of counterfeit products.
The two detainees, who have already been placed at the disposal of the Investigating Court number 1 of Badalona, managed the accounting documentation and handled significant amounts of cash. The other three individuals under investigation have been summoned to appear before the court.
The operation, carried out by the Civil Guard's Fiscal and Borders units in collaboration with the Urban Guard, highlights the existence of an organized network profiting from illegal sales. Agents also seized documentation that confirms the existence of a supplier network and a well-structured logistics system.
The success of the operation underscores the need for strong institutional coordination to combat commercial piracy. The collaboration between the Civil Guard and local police has been key to strangling the entry route of counterfeit material, although police bodies warn that administrative leniency has allowed this phenomenon to grow for years.
The citizens of Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramenet, where the warehouses were located, have expressed their satisfaction with the police intervention. Residents of the affected areas had repeatedly reported the presence of vans and suspicious movements in the properties used as collection centres.
Authorities have reminded that illegal street vending not only harms legal merchants but also generates problems of coexistence in neighbourhoods. This week's operation represents a step forward in the fight against the mafias profiting from piracy and unfair competition.
The detainees remain in police custody awaiting the Badalona court's decision regarding their legal situation. The investigation remains open to determine if there are more individuals involved in the distribution network of counterfeit products.
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