Major operation against the 'top manta' in Salou: nineteen arrested and three officers injured

BarcelonaThe Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) and the National Police launched an operation this Tuesday morning against a criminal group dedicated to selling counterfeit materials, which were ultimately marketed by street vendors in the Salou area of Tarragona. The operation resulted in nineteen arrests and a large amount of counterfeit material seized. A dozen searches were carried out in homes and warehouses: six in Salou and the rest in Reus and Les Borges del Camp (Baix Camp). This extensive police deployment was met with a hostile response from street vendors, who threw stones at the police line. Three Mossos d'Esquadra officers were injured, and damage was caused to private and police vehicles.

The operation consisted of 300 officers, including Mossos d'Esquadra and the National Police. In addition to citizen security and public order officers, the helicopter and the drone unit also took part in the operation. The investigation, for organized crime and industrial property violations, remains open, according to the Mossos d'Esquadra.

At the beginning of June, there was already an operation, this time by the Civil Guard, in two warehouses where street vendors were storing merchandise, and the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) were deployed to prevent an escalation of tension. A few dozen vendors protested the police intervention, and people were thrown and barricades were set up.