The Mossos link the six shootings of 2026 to organized crime

BarcelonaWhen a street shooting occurs, the Mossos d'Esquadra immediately consider whether it could be related to drug trafficking. And, in recent months, whether these drug traffickers could be from Eastern Europe. They do this after several almost identical murders have been attributed to these mafias, and now they are also investigating whether the constant revenge between Eastern clans is behind the latest crime, the one on Balmes street, there are also the constant revenges between Eastern clans.

In 2026, there have been six deaths by shooting. All of these, however, have been concentrated in just over two months. And between the last two – the execution in the Zona Franca and the one on Balmes street – only three days have passed. This situation has led the Ministry of the Interior to hold a briefing with the media on the situation of firearms in Catalonia. And the six crimes of 2026 reinforce one of the main conclusions: all these homicides are linked to organized crime, and predominantly to drug trafficking. If we ask ourselves why there are more weapons in the country, the answer is found, above all, in the drug market, as explained byintendent Toni Rodríguez, a member of the force's leadership.

Figures show that incidents in which someone has displayed or used a pistol – excluding situations of gender-based and domestic violence – decreased in 2025 and have decreased in the first five months of 2026, specifically by 7.8%. However, there are figures that are rising and are concerning, such as the case of real firearms. In 2025, 28% of the pistols drawn in these incidents were real. In the first quarter of 2026, this figure increased to 35%. It is also concerning that the cases in which the weapon is actually fired are increasing. Up to May of this year, these cases have increased by 32% compared to the same period in 2025. At that time, they had already risen by 35% compared to 2024. This year, these shots have injured 18 people and killed six.

They are concentrated on the coast

The vast majority of these shootings take place on the Catalan coast, an area that coincides with the route of the AP-7 – a very active road for drug trafficking – and where criminal groups are mainly based. Furthermore, short firearms, which are easier to hide in urban environments, are increasingly being used. The Mossos have not detected the presence of networks that make indiscriminate, social use of these weapons. There are conflicts with firearms involving native clans, who often intimidate each other for neighborhood control. In any case, most incidents are precisely due to large-scale drug conflicts. This concerns the police, especially due to the collateral damage that can occur and also given the risk that it could generate a mimetic effect in local criminals.

It is still too early to confirm that the crime on Balmes street stems from a drug conflict, as the Mossos have not yet fully identified the victim. In any case, the main hypotheses point to a conflict between Eastern clans, particularly indicating Montenegro. In fact, the Montenegrin consulate was right next to the place the assassin chose to open fire, which was also directly in front of a National Police office. In fact, an agent of the police force tried to pursue the assassin for a few meters, but he managed to escape and left the pistol under a bicycle helmet at a bus stop. This Thursday, the Mossos are collecting images from business cameras in the area of Plaça Gal·la Placídia to try to retrace his route.

The penultimate crime, the one in the Zona Franca, is also being investigated to see if it is linked to Eastern gangs. The victim would be of Serbian origin – a fact that the Mossos must fully confirm – and they are also looking into whether one crime could have been a consequence of the other. In any case, the Mossos admit that their main objective is to try to prevent these gangs from establishing themselves in Catalonia. Now, given this reiteration of murders, they do not rule out that they may already have a certain infrastructure. They add that it is not a Catalan problem, but a European one, which began with the production of marijuana and has spread as new traffickers have arrived, although they clarify that in some parts of Spain, France, Belgium and the Nordic countries, for example, they are worse off than here. We often talk about problems solved by hitmen, professionals who know how to get away and who are very difficult, according to the police, to catch. Therefore, the agents admit, putting more police on the street is not the only solution.

Higher sentences

In fact, councilor Núria Parlon pointed out that rarely have there been so many police officers as this Wednesday in Barcelona, fortified by the visit of Pope Leo XIV. Both the head of the Interior Ministry and the Director General of the Police, Josep Lluís Trapero, have called for stricter penalties related to arms possession and marijuana trafficking. Currently, only 10% of those arrested for marijuana trafficking and arms possession end up in preventive detention. Therefore, Trapero explained that penalties for drug trafficking are divided between drugs that cause serious health consequences – such as cocaine and synthetics – and those considered milder, such as marijuana and hashish. Trapero proposes working so that marijuana trafficking, when we talk about large plantations, is considered a "harm to the public health of the community," to move from penalties of 1 to 3 years in prison to sentences that can reach 9 years.

The same applies to weapons: carrying a handgun can lead to a two-year prison sentence, while, according to Trapero, in France or Germany the penalties range from 4 to 6 years in prison. Therefore, he also proposes increasing these penalties. All in all, the councilor and the director already discussed this on Wednesday with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Parlon stated that the proposal seeks to "toughen" penalties to "deter" the use of weapons with "better tools." The head of the Interior Ministry said that work is being done on the documentation to present it and take it to Congress.