Barcelona and its metro area are at the centre of a rise in gun crime across Catalonia, where police recorded 93 shootings in 2025, up 35% on the previous year. Officers say most of the violence is linked to marijuana trafficking gangs marking territory and settling scores.
The Mossos d'Esquadra logged 69 shootings in 2024, rising to 93 in 2025. The trend has continued into 2026, with about 30 incidents reported by early June, which is more than one shooting a week. Commissioner Ramon Chacon, head of the Mossos' Criminal Investigation Division, warned about the "trivialisation" of firearms, mainly among groups involved in marijuana trafficking.
Many of the shootings are described by police as intimidatory. Gangs fire into the air or at building facades to warn rivals and show force. Chacon also said there is concern about innocent bystanders being hurt, after a 10-year-old girl was injured by a ricochet bullet in Badalona's Sant Roc neighbourhood during a dispute over drug dens.
The past weekend brought three more incidents. In Badalona, a child was injured. In L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, a man suffered an arm injury and was taken to Bellvitge hospital. In Tordera, a "narco-assault" on a marijuana plantation left one person injured by a firearm and led to two arrests, according to El Caso. Police later detained the suspects in a car on the C-66 in Celrà, Girona.
The rise in marijuana plantations and distribution across Catalonia has pushed criminal groups to arm themselves. Police say weapons are used to protect drug operations and to steal from rivals. In 2025, firearm incidents caused seven deaths and 29 injuries across Catalonia. So far in 2026, four deaths have been recorded, all linked to drug trafficking.
The Mossos have stepped up checks on firearms and bladed weapons, while also warning that gangs are getting hold of more pistols. Commissioner Chacon said on Catalunya Ràdio that Catalonia does not face "large-scale firearms trafficking", but rather a "trickle". Police operations are focused on dismantling the organised groups supplying the black market. For more on local policing and public safety, see Community and Sport.
Authorities are also worried about weapons entering criminal networks from abroad. Police have previously found firearms from the Balkan Wars in the region, and agents fear the war in Ukraine could add to the supply of illegal weapons. In one recent check on the AP-7 motorway in Figueres, officers found a car carrying 12 submachine guns, possibly AK-47 models, in poor condition. The driver fled.
Mossos operations against drug trafficking often seize pistols, shotguns and imitation weapons. Officers also examine shell casings from shooting scenes to see whether the same weapon has been used in other crimes. Chacon has called for international police cooperation to link databases and track weapons through shell casings. The Mossos say the risks linked to marijuana trafficking are very high, with dangerous organised gangs involved.
Originally published by El Periódico Barcelona. Read original article.
