Illegal Mataró campsite operations have generated over €1 million in illicit profits according to an ongoing Mossos d’Esquadra investigation.
The Catalan police are pursuing two men suspected of constructing an unlawful campsite on agricultural land they’d rented in Mataró, just north of Barcelona.
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Environmental Crimes and Fraudulent Connections
The investigation, initiated after Mataró Council reported the matter to the Environmental Prosecutor’s Office in June 2024, reveals multiple offences. Furthermore, the suspects face charges including urban planning violations, environmental crimes, electricity fraud and money laundering. The illegal settlement covered 15 hectares of exclusively agricultural land along the Mata de Mataró road.
According to La Vanguardia reports, the men had rented the land from a property company in September 2021 under a contract that prohibited any construction. Nevertheless, they proceeded to install permanent structures, prefabricated modules, metal containers converted into housing, caravans and sheds. Many featured permanent connections to septic tanks and cesspits.
The suspects also cleared forest areas and conducted earth movements to facilitate construction without municipal permits or licences. Additionally, they made fraudulent connections to electrical and water networks without proper safety supervision or certified controls.
Risky Settlement Housing 145 Residents
By August 2025, this illegal Mataró campsite housed 145 residents with more people waiting to move in. Council data indicates the suspects rented out plots to third parties who paid approximately €300 monthly depending on location characteristics. Consequently, the operation generated substantial illegal income over several years.
Investigators noted the settlement posed serious risks to both people and the environment due to high wildfire danger, which the suspects allegedly understood. Meanwhile, they diversified their earnings by reinvesting in the project through purchasing additional prefabricated modules and new constructions for expansion.
The case highlights ongoing challenges with Barcelona’s housing pressures that sometimes lead to unlawful solutions. On October 13th, Mataró’s Court of Instruction Number 2 authorised a police operation to dismantle the settlement and conduct searches. Officers seized money, documentation and implemented preventive confiscations of assets linked to the suspects.
The investigation continues as police work to identify additional collaborators involved in running this illegal Mataró campsite operation.
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