Barcelona police arrested a 29-year-old Albanian fugitive on Passeig de Gràcia on 8 May, after officers found him carrying a loaded pistol and fake Greek identification documents.
The man was wanted on three active European arrest warrants. Two, issued by France, related to serious drug trafficking charges and belonging to a criminal organisation. A third, issued by Spain, concerned vehicle theft and robbery. Officers seized the pistol, a Makarov loaded with seven 9x18mm cartridges, and €1,470 in cash.
The operation was carried out by the Civil Guard’s Judicial Police Section in Catalonia, which had been tracking the suspect for some time before making the arrest in the Eixample district. Passeig de Gràcia is one of Barcelona’s busiest streets, used daily by residents, shoppers and visitors.
Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor for Security, Albert Batlle, raised the wider issue at the City Council’s Security Commission on Wednesday. He said the city needs to tackle the presence of weapons on public streets and drug trafficking, which he described as linked problems. He also referred to a recent shooting in Sants during daylight hours.
The man was transferred to the National Court by video conference from the Barcelona Court of First Instance facilities. The court deals with serious crimes, including organised crime and cases with international links. For more on local safety and policing, see our Community coverage and Sport updates.
Civil Guard and the Spanish judiciary are the primary public sources for this case. Original report.
