The Queen of Raval and the drug den where you could spend the night: police crackdown on drug dealing

BarcelonaA man walks, swaying more than usual, through the streets of Barcelona's Raval neighborhood. He carries a can of Voll-Damm beer in his hand. It's dark, but not yet six in the evening. He glances both ways, trying to spot if anyone is following him. Finally, he stops in front of a doorway. It's number 3 Vistalegre Street, next to the Raval promenade. The door is made of opaque glass, and there's no light inside. He scans his surroundings again and decides to take the plunge. He knocks and waits. No one answers. He grumbles. He knocks again, this time more forcefully, and shouts in case someone hears him. Again, his calls go unanswered. Disappointed, he turns around and disappears back into the narrow streets of Ciutat Vella.

The man knows that drugs are often sold in this doorway, and they allow consumption inside, especially in pipes. What she doesn't know is that this week the police dismantled that drug den, and now it's boarded up. It was a squat illegally run by a woman known in the neighborhood. In fact, they know her as "The Queen." She's 45 years old, of Dominican origin, and, according to police sources, is considered a very active figure in the world of drug dens. However, she's not considered a leader of the drug den network, but rather a figure that these leaders usually place in the premises to keep an eye on things. The Queen was arrested this week by the police, along with two other men, aged 35 and 29, both with prior records, as alleged perpetrators of a crime against public health. According to information obtained by ARA, they controlled access to the apartment with security cameras. One man was in charge of monitoring the screens, and the other was responsible for opening the door and trying to avoid the police.

The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) have successfully raided this drug den in a very targeted way. Through constant surveillance by the Urban Crime Group of Ciutat Vella, the police detected that the premises were occupied and drugs were being sold. The fact that it was a commercial establishment is key because it is not considered a residence, which facilitates police action. Thus, when someone entered the premises, the Mossos acted immediately, considering it a flagrant crime: someone was committing a drug trafficking offense. During the search, they seized different types of drugs—such as crack, cocaine, and heroin—cash, various utensils and equipment for weighing and handling substances, and the installed video surveillance system.

Second drug den raided in just a few hours

This is one of the cases that demonstrates the ongoing fight against drug dens. And it's practically a daily occurrence: this Thursday, a group of tourists listened to a guide's explanation of the Roman ruins in Plaça Vila de Madrid, in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. One of them leaned against a wall as he observed the ruins. He didn't know it, but until this Thursday, on the other side of the wall, there were up to fifteen people using drugs. A sign was posted on the doorway that read: "The Gothic Quarter says enough." The same message was repeated on several banners hanging from balconies.

"The police came today and kicked them out. They were making a lot of noise at night. People were constantly going in to do drugs," explains a neighbor who is leaving the blog. Meanwhile, workers are welding the door shut so that no one can enter the premises. Hours earlier, a joint operation by the Barcelona City Police and the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police) also dismantled a drug den in this area of Ciutat Vella (Old City). According to ARA, the police arrested two people as those responsible for the sales point and identified fifteen users. Small quantities of drugs, cash, scales, and drug paraphernalia were seized. Again, it was a squat that has been returned to its owner.

This is, however, a particularly problematic location: a stabbing recently occurred inside.. Local shopkeepers report that users often stole items from a nearby Decathlon store to pay for drugs at the drug den. The den is a large, over 100-square-meter space on the corner of Bot Street. Inside, there were rooms with beds where users could sleep. Sometimes, drugs were also obtained through sex. According to sources familiar with the case, this establishment was illegally run by a group known to the police: a few months ago, they dismantled another drug den located on Rauric Street. Within a week, the same group had reopened the location that was raided this past Thursday.