Mossos d'Esquadra and the National Police have arrested nine members of a family clan that stored a rocket launcher, dozens of pistols, and a grenade for sale to organised crime. The leader directed the network from Quatre Camins prison.
A joint investigation by the Mossos d'Esquadra and the National Police has led to the dismantling of a family clan that trafficked in war weapons and was based in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. The network, made up of nine people, stored an arsenal that included a rocket launcher, more than 40 pistols, shotguns, and a hand grenade, ready to be sold to organised crime groups.
The operation, which culminated on July 7 with nine home searches, began in January this year following information obtained in another case: the dismantling of a violent youth group of the Trinitarios in L'Hospitalet. From there, investigators tracked a family that, according to the investigations, was professionally engaged in arms trafficking.
The head of the operation is a 37-year-old man who was already serving a sentence in Quatre Camins prison in Roca del Vallès for homicide since 2009. From his cell, he directed operations with the help of his wife and daughter, who lived in a town in Penedès. The agents also searched the inmate's cell during the operation.
In the searches, the agents located two large arsenals. In the first, they found 38 imitation pistols of the Glock brand, 140 rounds of ammunition, and cash. In the second, a rocket launcher, a revolver, four shotguns, two bulletproof vests, a ballistic shield, and abundant ammunition of various calibres. They also seized detonator weapons, magazines, a Taser device, and an inert hand grenade.
The organisation had a dual sales system. On one hand, the family core — the leader's wife and daughters — kept the weapons at home and in the usual vehicle, and the daughter recorded videos to advertise the merchandise among other criminal networks. On the other hand, they acted on demand: collaborating intermediaries were responsible for acquiring the weapons that other clans needed.
The nine detainees were brought before the court accused of arms trafficking, belonging to a criminal organisation, and illegal possession of war weapons. The investigation, which remains open, does not rule out further arrests or the location of more arsenals linked to this network.
The operation has been described as one of the most important in recent years in Catalonia due to the dangerousness of the seized material. The Mossos d'Esquadra have highlighted citizen collaboration and coordination with the National Police as key to the success of the operation.
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