Moving the strings from a Quatre Camins cell: blow to a network where they find more than 40 pistols and a rocket launcher

BarcelonaHe operated from the Quatre Camins prison cell. Through various clandestine mobile phones, he communicated with his family. From home, his eldest daughter made videos loading and handling shotguns and revolvers. The man, from prison, distributed these videos to potential arms buyers, linked to organized crime and drug trafficking, and managed the sales.

Everything stayed at home: his wife, once the deal was closed, delivered the order to the buyers at the point agreed by her husband. The sale was completed in broad daylight and in public places, such as supermarket parking lots or outside shopping centers. Far from arousing suspicion, this allowed this family from Pla del Penedès to distribute weapons throughout Catalonia for years, and sometimes to other cities in Spain and France.

The initial lead came from following up on an investigation, in December of last year, linked to the Trinitaris faction in Catalonia, a youth criminal organization linked to armed robberies. In January 2026, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Mossos d'Esquadra began trying to locate the main source of arms supply used by these young people. The agents discovered the identity of the organization's leader: a 37-year-old man admitted to Quatre Camins for a homicide offense. Thus, the process began to dismantle an entire arms trafficking network that surrounded him.

Six months of investigation culminated on July 7th. In a joint operation by the National Police and the Mossos d'Esquadra, nine searches were carried out at various homes and at the cell of the main suspect. Two arms caches were found with more than forty pistols, a rocket launcher, and more than a thousand bullets of different calibers. An anti-ballistic shield of unknown origin, shotguns, and a hand grenade were also seized. One of the arsenals was in the family car, parked on the street, which served as a storage location to arouse less suspicion.

During the operations, agents arrested five men and four women between the ages of 20 and 48, allegedly part of the organization's structure. Six of them have been brought before the judicial authorities and are linked to crimes of belonging to a criminal organization and possession, deposit, and trafficking of firearms.

8,000 euros for a shotgun

According to the sergeant of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Mossos d'Esquadra of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, the family had an extensive stock of weapons, but also operated on demand, trying to obtain specific products at the request of buyers. Their boss acted as a broker, and had managed to sell shotguns for 8,000 euros. Those involved in the network kept a part of the money, so the final price was significantly above the standard price of the items. Despite this, the family's ease and efficiency in obtaining specific weapon models made buyers willing to pay for it. The serial number of the seized weapons has been erased, which prevents agents from discovering their origin. However, agents highlight that 38 imitation Glock brand pistols were found, which buyers thought were authentic.

Although the "hard core" of the gang were the father, his wife, and the daughter, the family had a network of members who collaborated with them regularly. They were part of contacts who facilitated both the entry and obtaining of weapons, as well as their sale. “We are convinced that we have managed to dismantle a very active organization, both in terms of its volume and its supply capacity," explained the sergeant. Both he and Carlos Gil, chief inspector of the National Police, explained that the operation has allowed a supply chain that fed other active criminal organizations to be interrupted.

The investigation remains open, and a study is being carried out on the ammunition found in recent shootings in Catalonia to find out if products supplied by this group were used.