At Barcelona-El Prat Airport, as the tourist season draws holidaymakers back from their summer vacations, Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra police have stepped up security measures. The move comes after numerous cases of fraud involving illegal parking attendants offering car storage services at prices significantly below market rates.
According to police, between 25 and 30 illegal companies operate around the airport—accounting for about 70% of all service offers in this market. These companies have no official offices and operate directly on the streets, approaching clients at terminal entrances. They promise long-term car storage for amounts several times lower than official operators. For example, if standard weekly parking costs around 80 euros, illegal companies offer their services for just 20 euros.
However, upon returning to Barcelona, many car owners face unpleasant surprises: their vehicles end up damaged or show a significantly higher mileage. In some cases, the cars were used to commit crimes. One incident involved a woman whose vehicle was used in a robbery in Martorell, while she was away on vacation, having entrusted her car to one of these companies. Later, police detained two men found driving her car. Luxury vehicles are most commonly targeted for such purposes.
The first major raid to identify illegal parking attendants took place on July 30. During the operation, 25 people were identified, and four were detained on suspicion of violating immigration laws. Most workers at such firms lack official employment contracts and are in the country illegally. Police also inspected eight vehicles and found nearly a hundred sets of car keys for different vehicles in one of them. There were incidents where employees did not have driving licenses.
The labor inspectorate initiated eight administrative cases, imposing fines of up to 10,000 euros for each illegal worker. Police plan to conduct such inspections regularly in the airport area to prevent the spread of illegal services. Task forces will operate at different times of day to hinder the activities of fraudsters and reduce risks for passengers.
Authorities emphasize that the issue of illegal parking attendants is particularly acute during the peak return of tourists, when airport operations reach their maximum. Most victims do not report to the police, and the complaints received are mostly administrative, complicating efforts to combat this phenomenon.
The Catalan police urge passengers to use only official parking lots and to be cautious when choosing car storage services to avoid unpleasant consequences and not fall victim to fraud.
