Police operations against illegal marijuana plantations are common in Catalonia. In recent years, crimes linked to the trafficking of this substance have increased significantly, which has led the Mossos d'Esquadra to demand appropriate measures that allow them to combat this growing phenomenon more effectively.
What is not so common, and is yet another twist, is that criminal groups emulate police operations to raid plantations and thus systematically carry out robberies. This is precisely how a gang operated in the Tarragona district: they posed as police officers and, displaying long and short firearms and police clothing, forcibly entered the plantation and took their loot. The joint police operation of the Mossos d'Esquadra and the National Police managed this Tuesday to dismantle the criminal organization that is linked to four violent robberies that occurred last year.
According to both police forces in a press release, Tuesday's operation resulted in the arrest of six men between the ages of 20 and 40 in a series of raids carried out in homes in the municipalities of Reus, Riudoms, Pratdip and Botarell. , all in Tarragona. The six were arrested as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of belonging to a criminal organization, drug trafficking, robbery with violence, illicit possession of weapons, injuries and damages. The operation, named Berry, was carried out by police from the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) of the Camp de Tarragona Police Region, from the Reus Investigation Unit, together with the National Police.
The investigation began during the second half of 2023 following the detection of the organization. The first incident investigated occurred on June 17 of last year in Tarragona where the members of the gang committed an attempted assault. Despite not achieving its objective, the organization demonstrated its ability to impersonate police officers as well as the possession of both short and long firearms.
Months later, the same organization carried out a violent assault in Reus, on a farm where they believed there was a marijuana plantation. In this violent robbery, the perpetrators attacked the person who was taking care of the property. Just three days later, some members of the organization carried out a robbery against an establishment worker who, also posing as police officers, stole her vehicle, which ended up being burned hours later.
The last violent assault committed by the organization was in November in Perafort, near Tarragona, where the organization used the same modus operandi. That is, assaults carried out by a large group of people, all of them dressed in vests and police tactical clothing and displaying both long and short weapons.
Based on the first identifications of the members of the criminal organization, the investigators at CITCO, the Intelligence Center against Terrorism and Organized Crime, coincided with an investigation by the National Police, so a joint work team was created. .
The police collaboration allowed us to obtain sufficient evidence about the existence of the criminal organization, its members, its structure and its illicit activity. It was a hierarchical network, made up of people with an extensive criminal record for drug-related crimes. During the investigation phase, the police were able to prove the structure of the organization and identify its leader, lieutenants and other members who carried out support tasks in the assaults.
With all this information, last Tuesday a joint Mossos and National Police device was established that had 200 personnel including investigators, public order agents or specialized units such as the canine unit or the Drone Unit. During the operation, the agents carried out six entries and investigations, three in Reus and one in Riudoms, Pratdip and Botarell. In addition, investigators also made one of the arrests in El Vendrell.
During the raids, investigators located and seized 4 kilograms of hashish, 250 marijuana plants, 5 kilograms of marijuana buds ready for distribution and 22 grams of cocaine. Related to the modus operandi of the assaults, they located 2 electric guns, an extendable defense, ammunition of different calibers, handcuffs, bulletproof vests, two machetes and clothing used to commit the narco-attacks. Finally, 10,450 euros in cash were also involved.
In addition to the detained members of the organization, at one of the entrances in Reus, the police located and detained a 37-year-old man for a European Arrest Warrant issued by Belgium also for crimes against public health.
The detainees, who have accumulated numerous police and judicial records in the last decade, were brought to justice on Thursday before the investigating court on duty in Barcelona. The investigation remains open and other arrests related to the criminal organization have not been ruled out.
