In recent months, concern in Barcelona has risen due to an increase in burglaries. The case of Ahmed R., arrested more than forty times in two years, has become a symbol of a problem affecting not just certain neighborhoods, but the entire city’s security system. His story illustrates how police and judicial approaches to dealing with repeat offenders have changed, and why the issue of punishing such criminals remains critical for residents of Catalonia.
According to El Pais, Ahmed R., 48, has been detained ten times over the past 50 days. His arrests started with a shoplifting incident in Ciutat Vella, followed by new episodes on February 4, 15, and 22, and March 1 and 5. The most recent event, when he broke into the same apartment twice, led a court to send him to jail for the first time. Police note that these measures are rarely long-lasting, and it is likely he will soon be back on the streets.
The DARP system
Ahmed R. is on the DARP list — Delincuente Activo con Riesgo de Persistencia — managed by the Eixample district police. This list includes people with at least two arrests in six months. There are currently about 4,000 people in the database, whereas stricter rules once kept it five times shorter. The criteria changed to address the rise in petty and mid-level thefts across the city.
Police describe Ahmed R. as a typical “marrón 39” — an individual with dozens of cases in his file. His specialty is breaking into apartments, hotels, and hostels. He was first detained in Catalonia in 2014 for disorderly conduct and resisting police, and just a few months later he was arrested for burglary. Since then, his name has regularly appeared in police reports.
Methods and consequences
According to police officers, Ahmed R. operates as a classic ‘opportunist’: he breaks into homes through terraces, picking targets where it is easy to escape quickly. In March, he entered the same apartment twice — the first time he was startled by the owner, and the next day he returned when the woman spent the night at a neighbor’s. In one incident, the thief left behind his documents, which allowed police to link him to other crimes using surveillance footage.
Although the stolen items are rarely valuable — sometimes just sheets or a coffee machine from a hostel — these thefts create a sense of insecurity among residents. Police note that even minor crimes, when repeated frequently, undermine trust in the law enforcement system. To combat repeat offenders, a special Kanpai plan is in place: each arrest is documented in detail for the courts and prosecutors in order to seek tougher preventive measures.
Court response
In early March, prosecutors requested pretrial detention for Ahmed R. for three counts of burglary, but the court only required him to report every two weeks. It was only after new incidents that another judge ordered him to be held in custody. Police note that the detainee often behaves aggressively during arrests, and on the most recent occasion, he refused to testify, choosing instead to remain in detention.
Spain’s judicial system often faces challenges in handling repeat offenders: proceedings drag on, and suspects continue to commit new crimes. According to El Pais, even if Ahmed R. remains in prison pending trial, this does not guarantee a long-term solution to the problem — too many similar cases are reported each year.
Context and trends
In recent years, major cities in Spain, especially Barcelona and Madrid, have seen a rise in burglaries and petty crimes committed by repeat offenders. Police regularly update lists of recidivists and introduce new control methods, yet the issue persists. In 2025, several groups specializing in thefts in tourist areas were prominently detained in Barcelona, but most were soon released. Analysis by russpain.com indicates that tougher measures against repeat offenders have become a key topic of discussion among residents and security experts.
