The Mossos and the Civil Guard search IRTA and a laboratory in Madrid for the African swine fever outbreak
The police had already searched the center located at the UAB in December, even though scientific reports ruled out that it was the origin of the crisis
BarcelonaAgents of the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Guardia Civil again searched the IRTA-CReSA facilities yesterday as part of the investigation into the origin of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak, as reported by El País and confirmed by police sources to ARA. According to a statement released this Wednesday afternoon by the center itself, "new judicial proceedings" ordered by the court handling the case – number 2 of the Cerdanyola del Vallès Court of First Instance – have been carried out to try to clarify the origin of the ASF outbreak in Catalonia. The search at IRTA on Tuesday lasted more than ten hours.
"From the outset, IRTA has maintained an attitude of maximum transparency and full cooperation with the authorities. This cooperation will be maintained throughout the process, and any new request that the judicial authority may make will be attended to," the center defended.
As part of the same investigation, this Tuesday the Mossos and the Guardia Civil also searched the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center in Madrid, a joint center between the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). According to police sources, in both cases the objective was to collect samples.
The first search was on December 18th and the agents took documentation and samples of the viruses with which the researchers work. At that time, the objective was to collect documentation for the investigation that seeks to clarify the origin of the outbreak. The case has been declared secret.
Three investigations
Beyond the police investigation, on December 30 last year the parallel study commissioned by the Generalitat ruled out that the PPA outbreak originated from IRTA facilities and the researchers concluded that it was a strain that "had never been found before". Also in February, the initial State report – the official procedure – ruled out that the outbreak originated from a leak at IRTA and that there was sabotage behind it.
Furthermore, as recalled by IRTA, the Government also commissioned an external audit of biosecurity protocols and the center's operation, which reviewed biological containment systems, access controls, sample traceability, and the management of biological waste and work procedures. At that time, no incidents were detected that pointed to a possible escape of the virus from the center.