National police and civil guards together dismantled a sprawling drug operation in Castellar del Vallès, near Barcelona, arresting 13 individuals linked to a cross-border trafficking network. The case marks Spain’s first large-scale facility devoted to processing marijuana for widespread distribution to be uncovered and shut down in recent times.
Authorities stated that the Mars-Pompey operation targeted a criminal network involved in international drug trafficking. Thirteen suspects were detained and 12 search warrants executed in various locations across the Barcelona province, including Castellar del Vallès, Sabadell, Vic, Granollers, Badalona and Santa Eulàlia de Roncana, culminating in the liquidation of a major, synthetic cannabis production laboratory in Castellar del Vallès.
The operation uncovered a laboratory designed for the rapid manufacture and processing of cannabis, claimed to be the first of its kind of such scale in Spain. In total, 13 people were arrested and 12 registrations were carried out in the Barcelona district as part of the investigations.
Investigators reported seizures including firearms, cash, and specialized equipment tied to the illicit operation, with the authorities sharing imagery of the devices and assets recovered during the operation.
Following months of intelligence work, special response units conducted raids in Castellar del Vallès and nearby towns such as Sabadell, Vic, Granollers and Badalona, as well as Santa Eulàlia de Roncana, where a laboratory dedicated to synthetic drug production was dismantled as part of the crackdown on the network.
Officials described a complex Castellar del Vallès-based facility used for processing and distributing large quantities of cannabis, which purportedly represented the network’s flagship processing site in the country. The operation’s overall reach is linked to a broader logistics framework that enabled the trafficking and distribution of narcotics across Europe.
As a result of the operation, authorities seized a substantial cache: 710 kilograms of cannabis, 1.5 kilograms of cannabis resin, 2.5 kilograms of cannabis pollen, 4.46 kilograms of cocaine and 1,305 kilograms of marijuana concentrate; €140,000 in cash, two pistols, a replica rifle, a high-end armored vehicle, and an electronic device used to detect tracking markers.
Six of the thirteen detainees have already been ordered to remain in custody by a court, reflecting the seriousness of the charges and the evidence collected by the joint task force.
The network is alleged to have exploited its logistical backbone to coordinate cannabis shipments while also receiving synthetic drugs from South America for distribution across Europe, according to statements from both the National Police and the Civil Guard.
The investigation began in January 2022 after authorities detected a ship in Castellar del Vallès that could be involved in drug trafficking operations. A joint task force from the Civil Guard and National Police was established to pool data and resources as the inquiry progressed.
Earlier efforts in January led to the interception of 229 kilograms of marijuana hidden inside a truck carrying medical supplies, attempting to cross into Spain via La Jonquera in Girona. In February, a second truck was stopped in Cádiz with 54 kilograms of marijuana concealed in its wheels. The drugs seized at La Jonquera and Cádiz were then loaded onto Castellar del Vallès-bound vehicles for distribution from the regional warehouse.
Months later, in April, Mexican authorities alerted Spanish counterparts about a shipment to Castellar bearing 44 kilograms of MMDA, prompting investigators to conclude that the network handled multiple drug categories by leveraging its established distribution infrastructure. In another development, it was discovered that a shipment of marijuana buds was being moved to Germany via an external shipping company, highlighting the network’s cross-border reach and the role of legitimate logistics facilities in illicit operations.