In a covert operation, scores of armed Spanish police, donning bullet-proof vests and masks, conducted a pre-dawn raid on homes in a small Catalan town this week. Despite the show of force, this wasn't an anti-terror operation; instead, they were targeting marijuana plantations that are increasingly run by gangs armed with serious weaponry.
Catalonia, a wealthy northeastern region of Spain with eight million residents, has transformed in recent years from a drug transit route to a notorious European production hub, primarily for marijuana. As a result, guns have become more visible, and instances of armed violence are on the rise.
During the pre-dawn raid in Constanti, located 100 kilometres down the coast from Barcelona, police stormed seven homes occupied by squatters. Inside, they discovered 2,000 marijuana plants thriving under powerful lights in rooms equipped with large fans. Tarragona police chief Inspector Ramon Franques emphasized the importance of these efforts, stating, "We're fighting to stop this whole area from turning into a mini narco-state."
Regional police have expressed concern about the worrying rise in gun violence brought on by the growing presence of drug gangs. Carlos Otamendi, head of criminal investigations at the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police, explained, "The trafficking and cultivation of marijuana is worrying, but mostly because of the associated increase in violence."
The severity of the situation was brought to public attention on June 23 when a man allegedly pulled out a Kalashnikov and shot dead two people during an argument on the outskirts of the northern city of Girona. While initial indications suggest the incident was not drug-related, the alleged perpetrator, who remains at large, belonged to a gang involved in marijuana trafficking.
In a separate incident around the same time, police seized five weapons, two of which were military-grade, while breaking up a group that had smuggled hashish into the region by boat, a practice that is becoming increasingly common.
Gerardo Cavero of the anti-trafficking arm of the Barcelona prosecutor's office noted, "Gang violence didn't start now with drug trafficking, nor with the establishment of organised crime networks smuggling marijuana. But this use of military-grade weapons is new."
According to the EU's Drugs Agency, cannabis is the most widely-consumed illegal substance in Europe, be it in the form of hashish, marijuana, or derivatives. In 2022, Spain accounted for 69 percent of all cannabis resin seizures across the EU, along with 47 percent of weed and 81 per cent of cannabis plants, highlighting the country's significant role as both a transit country and a production area.
In 2022, Spanish police seized more than 36,700 kilogrammes of marijuana from Catalonia alone. The region has seen a growing number of gangs setting up plantations and distributing the plants across Europe, according to the office of Spain's public prosecutor.
Protection is essential for those running these lucrative operations, which are also prevalent in the southern Andalusia region. Cavero emphasized, "If there is one thing that characterises organised crime in respect to drug trafficking, it is the use of violence."
Last year, police seized 1,171 weapons in Catalonia, a 28 percent increase from 2022. During that period, armed attacks in marijuana plantations rose by 78 percent, and the related number of deaths in such incidents rose to five, with four more linked to the booming hash trade. In 2022, just one person died.
Despite the alarming trends, Catalan authorities insist that the region remains "safe," with levels of criminality far lower than in other parts of the world. However, journalist Fatima Llambrich, an expert on the subject, warns, "I don't want to say we're getting used to it, but it's a type of violence that is becoming more normalised."
As the cannabis trade continues to flourish in Catalonia, the rise of weapons and violence associated with it presents a growing challenge for law enforcement and raises concerns about the region's safety and security.
Catalonia, a wealthy northeastern region of Spain with eight million residents, has transformed in recent years from a drug transit route to a notorious European production hub, primarily for marijuana. As a result, guns have become more visible, and instances of armed violence are on the rise.
During the pre-dawn raid in Constanti, located 100 kilometres down the coast from Barcelona, police stormed seven homes occupied by squatters. Inside, they discovered 2,000 marijuana plants thriving under powerful lights in rooms equipped with large fans. Tarragona police chief Inspector Ramon Franques emphasized the importance of these efforts, stating, "We're fighting to stop this whole area from turning into a mini narco-state."
Regional police have expressed concern about the worrying rise in gun violence brought on by the growing presence of drug gangs. Carlos Otamendi, head of criminal investigations at the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police, explained, "The trafficking and cultivation of marijuana is worrying, but mostly because of the associated increase in violence."
The severity of the situation was brought to public attention on June 23 when a man allegedly pulled out a Kalashnikov and shot dead two people during an argument on the outskirts of the northern city of Girona. While initial indications suggest the incident was not drug-related, the alleged perpetrator, who remains at large, belonged to a gang involved in marijuana trafficking.
In a separate incident around the same time, police seized five weapons, two of which were military-grade, while breaking up a group that had smuggled hashish into the region by boat, a practice that is becoming increasingly common.
Gerardo Cavero of the anti-trafficking arm of the Barcelona prosecutor's office noted, "Gang violence didn't start now with drug trafficking, nor with the establishment of organised crime networks smuggling marijuana. But this use of military-grade weapons is new."
According to the EU's Drugs Agency, cannabis is the most widely-consumed illegal substance in Europe, be it in the form of hashish, marijuana, or derivatives. In 2022, Spain accounted for 69 percent of all cannabis resin seizures across the EU, along with 47 percent of weed and 81 per cent of cannabis plants, highlighting the country's significant role as both a transit country and a production area.
In 2022, Spanish police seized more than 36,700 kilogrammes of marijuana from Catalonia alone. The region has seen a growing number of gangs setting up plantations and distributing the plants across Europe, according to the office of Spain's public prosecutor.
Protection is essential for those running these lucrative operations, which are also prevalent in the southern Andalusia region. Cavero emphasized, "If there is one thing that characterises organised crime in respect to drug trafficking, it is the use of violence."
Last year, police seized 1,171 weapons in Catalonia, a 28 percent increase from 2022. During that period, armed attacks in marijuana plantations rose by 78 percent, and the related number of deaths in such incidents rose to five, with four more linked to the booming hash trade. In 2022, just one person died.
Despite the alarming trends, Catalan authorities insist that the region remains "safe," with levels of criminality far lower than in other parts of the world. However, journalist Fatima Llambrich, an expert on the subject, warns, "I don't want to say we're getting used to it, but it's a type of violence that is becoming more normalised."
As the cannabis trade continues to flourish in Catalonia, the rise of weapons and violence associated with it presents a growing challenge for law enforcement and raises concerns about the region's safety and security.
