An operation with more than 750 agents of the National Police and Mossos d’Esquadra has arrested 36 people of different nationalities – 34 in the province of Barcelona and 2 in Castellón – for their alleged relationship with a criminal network dedicated to the exploitation of human beings to work in 15 marijuana plantations in Rubà and Castellbisbal (Barcelona).
As reported by the National Police in a statement, in addition to the cultivation of marijuana, whose plantations had a electricity consumption equivalent to that of a population of 1,200 homes and whose fraud amounts to 1,050,412 euros, the network was also dedicated to the breeding and fighting of fighting cocks.
The investigation began in May 2023 by the National Police with the testimony of a victim who escaped and declared that she had been exploited, attacked and threatened at the Castellbisbal headquarters after his arrival in Spain and, on behalf of the Mossos, when an electricity and gas supply company in Rubà observed high electricity consumption in 3 properties that could be typical of properties dedicated to the clandestine cultivation of marijuana.
The criminal organization took advantage of foreigners from Latin American countries in a vulnerable situation, who were captured by deception in their country of origin and once in Barcelona, ​​they were forced to carry out cultivation and security work on the plantations.
A family clan at the head
The criminal structure was led by a violent family clan whose main perpetrators were three brothers who, using collaborators who were in third countries in Latin America or Spain, were in charge of capture potential victims in a situation of need who, furthermore, were deceived.
Once they were recruited, the ringleaders were in charge of arranging round-trip plane tickets, instruct them on how to behave at the border in case of being controlled and they provided them with an economic amount to be able to simulate economic solvency and give the trip a tourist appearance.
Forced to pay off the debt
Once the victims arrived in Barcelona, ​​they were informed that due to the displacement they had incurred a debt of up to 4,600 euros that they had to pay off by working in indoor plantations of marijuana, being controlled at all times by members of the network.
Furthermore, the victims were forced to live on the plantations themselves, sleeping in places that were in unsanitary and unsanitary conditions. no freedom of movementsince if they wanted to go out shopping, send money, or any other personal task, they had to ask for permission and be accompanied.
cockfighting
In the investigations it was observed that the ringleaders were also dedicated to the breeding and training of fighting cocks, with events prepared to accommodate up to 100 peopleand for which they also obtained economic benefits, with 168 roosters being located.
During the investigation, which remains open and more arrests have not been ruled out, 35 entries and searches have been carried out – 34 in Barcelona and one in Castellón – where investigators have seized three firearms, a pellet gun, 11,007 marijuana plants, 6,021 kilograms of marijuana, 614.55 kilos of cocaine and 50,004 euros in cash, among others.