Looting in Catalan forests: ten arrested for plundering mastic trees and making millions

TarragonaThey were illegally harvesting tons of mastic, a shrub of great ecological value, in protected areas of Catalan forests. They operated mainly in the province of Tarragona and transported the merchandise in vans to a warehouse for clandestine shipment to the Netherlands. This was the modus operandi of a criminal organization with international connections dedicated to plundering mastic trees in Catalonia and laundering the millions of euros in profits they obtained from this trade. The Civil Guard has arrested ten people who, between July 2020 and December 2023, harvested at least 991 tons of mastic trees and laundered around 32 million euros.

The mastic tree, considered the green gold of the Catalan forestsThe mastic tree has increased in value in recent years due to demand in the gardening sector, especially for its ornamental use in floral arrangements, as well as in the pharmaceutical field for its antimicrobial properties. This has fueled its illegal harvesting for sale in exchange for tangible or intangible goods. The police operation searched eleven homes and company headquarters of the businesses involved in Barcelona and Tarragona, where more than €160,000 in cash was found, along with several high-end vehicles. Furthermore, in the search of the industrial warehouse where the harvested mastic was received, 6,500 kilos of the shrub were seized, and €1 million in assets controlled by those under investigation, 22 cars, and 23 homes were frozen.

Undocumented and vulnerable workers

The investigation began in late 2023, after the Nature Protection Service (Seprona) inspected a warehouse in Reus and seized four tons of mastic wood, harvested from the Baix Ebre region, which is part of the Natura 2000 network, and the Llaberia mountain range, a protected area. The warehouse inspection revealed how the organization operated and led to the launch of Operation Lentina, with Europol's support to identify the final destination of the goods.

The Civil Guard determined that small groups of undocumented workers, many of whom were vulnerable individuals, were used to carry out the harvesting. It is estimated that some 250 people may have been involved in the mastic harvesting activity without being registered with Social Security. The death of a man associated with the organization in December 2025, while he was harvesting, is also under investigation. Meanwhile, an initial expert report prepared by the Seprona (Nature Protection Service of the Civil Guard) has assessed the environmental damage caused by the practice at €3.77 million and has shown that continued extraction contributes to habitat fragmentation. The mastic tree is a fundamental plant for the balance of Mediterranean ecosystems, as it provides food and shelter for the birds and insects that inhabit them; therefore, its reduction in the territory contributes to the loss of biodiversity. It has also warned that indiscriminate harvesting compacts the soil, accelerating erosion, and that the waste left behind by harvesters can increase the risk of forest fires.