The Civil Guard and the Urban Guard of Barcelona have arrested two individuals and seized nearly 40,000 counterfeit items valued at over 3 million euros in an operation against illegal street vending.
On July 13, the Civil Guard and the Urban Guard of Barcelona arrested two 22-year-old men as part of operation "Monogram III", which has dismantled a logistics network supplying counterfeit products to unauthorized street vendors in the province of Barcelona. In total, 39,737 items have been seized, with an original market value exceeding three million euros.
The investigation began after detecting a constant flow of counterfeit goods arriving in areas of high tourist traffic and along the Barcelona coastline, where they were sold on the street. The agents focused their inquiries on the supply structure, not just on the final points of sale, successfully identifying several warehouses and distribution centres in the metropolitan area.
The network had its main logistics base in Badalona and Santa Coloma de Gramenet. From there, packages were prepared and the dispatch of goods to Barcelona and other destinations was organised. The intervention at these points allowed for part of the supply to be cut off before it reached the street vendors.
On July 13, the agents carried out searches at four homes in Badalona used as warehouses, three storage units in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, and a logistics centre in Castellbisbal, where 67 grouped shipments of goods were blocked. During the searches, among other items, 6,037 bottles of perfume, 1,097 cosmetic treatments, 5,552 packages of underwear and socks, 13,124 t-shirts and football kits from clubs and national teams, 11,398 branded garments, 939 jackets and tracksuits, 1,542 pairs of high-end sports shoes, and 48 luxury bags were seized.
Additionally, the agents confiscated 17,030 euros in cash, four mobile phones, and handwritten documentation with accounting notes of clients and suppliers. All material has been sealed and is under chain of custody, available to the judicial authority.
The "Monogram III" operation has been carried out by agents from the Fiscal and Border specialty of the Civil Guard at the Port of Barcelona and the Investigation Unit of the Urban Guard of Barcelona, with the collaboration of the Urban Guard of Badalona and the Local Police of Santa Coloma de Gramenet.
The two detainees, both 22 years old, have been placed at the disposal of the Investigating Court number 1 of Badalona, which is handling the case. The investigation remains open, and requests have been made against three other suspects who have not been located.
This operation represents a significant blow to the illegal street vending of counterfeit products, a phenomenon that particularly affects tourist areas of the Catalan capital and which, according to police sources, causes considerable economic harm to original brands and legal commerce. Residents of Badalona, Santa Coloma, and Castellbisbal thus see a reduction in the activity of these networks operating from their municipalities.
The authorities remind that purchasing counterfeit products can lead to administrative penalties and that, in many cases, these items do not meet quality and safety controls, potentially posing a health risk.
