police

Catalan police handling of the attacks' communication, in four languages and always urging calm, praised by citizens and politicians

Vice president demands meeting with Spanish counterpart to tackle “688 million euro” debt on security 

The suspect was taking shelter in central Catalan village

Police shot down 5 alleged terrorists to stop second attack in coastal town after 13 people die and 100 are injured in Barcelona

Mossos d’Esquadra director expresses confidence in force while internal sources and Spanish government suggest resignation is due to political reasons

Barcelona and Madrid governments hold security coordination meeting for first time in eight years amid mounting tension over referendum

Catalan police Mossos d’Esquadra are expected to be further integrated in antiterrorist coordination efforts at a Spanish and international level 

Executive sidesteps tax office injunction to approve new police intake in move towards objective of 1,500 extra officers

Score of Italian crime syndicate members arrested in Barcelona suspected of money laundering as Catalan executive announces 505 new police officers

Villarejo implies that the head of Spanish police was under the instruction of the Spanish Vice President in order to investigate Catalan pro-independence leaders

Minister of Home Affairs suggests there are “political reasons” behind the decision

The Government affirms that they will add the personnel as planned this June

Early this morning, the Catalan police force (Mossos d’Esquadra) carried out an important anti-jihadist operation in six Catalan municipalities. There were 9 arrests in 12 major raids in Barcelona and the surrounding municipalities of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Cornellà, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Ripollet, and Masquefa. The Catalan Minister of Home Affairs, Jordi Jané, announced that some of the “arrests made today are in connection with the terrorist attacks in Brussels”. He added that there is no evidence of any planned attack in Catalonia. Jané highlighted the collaboration between the Catalan and Belgian police forces.

Montse Venturós testified before a judge on Friday morning for not taking down an independence flag from the town hall building. The Mayor of Berga was arrested by police and taken to court after failing to attend voluntarily on two occasions. She is accused of an electoral crime and disobedience for ignoring the Electoral Roll Office’s requests to take down the flag from the façade of the Town Hall on two election days: the 27th of September Catalan election and the 20th of December Spanish general election. Her arrest caused an outcry amongst pro-independence parties and also those in favour of the right of Catalonia to hold a referendum on independence. Talking to journalists after testifying before the judge, Venturós confirmed her commitment to the “popular mandate” towards independence and said that her arrest was “a new attack on the Catalan people” by “an absolutely anti-democratic” Spanish state. The Catalan Government has described the arrest as “outrageous”.

Catalonia will keep the terrorist threat level at 4 out of 5 but extra security measures will be put in place. Thus, ‘Mossos d’Esquadra’ will dedicate 30% of their resources to fighting terrorist threats, as they are currently doing, and increase this to 40% in Barcelona. The Catalan Police will also reinforce the anti-terrorist surveillance, especially in the most touristic places. The Spanish Police have already put in place extra security measures on the French border, at La Junquera, to control the traffic and will be stopping vehicles in random checks, asking for documentation and searching for suspicious materials in the boot. These measures are in response to the terrorist attack which killed 84 people in the French city of Nice this past Thursday night.