As a result of joint actions by the Catalan police and the Barcelona city guard, around 60 items were discovered and seized, including jewelry, watches, and other valuables. The total value of the recovered property exceeded 600,000 euros. Inspections were carried out at five gold-buying shops located in the L’Eixample district.
The investigation began on August 20 at the initiative of the municipal police. During the operation, a 34-year-old man was detained; he had previously been prosecuted for similar crimes. Two days after his arrest, he was handed over to the court.
Initially, officers conducted an administrative inspection in two shops in the Sant Antoni neighborhood. There, they found jewelry with damage typical of burglaries and chains with broken links. In one of the premises, a significant quantity of valuables was discovered, carelessly stored in a safe. In addition, they identified jewelry being dismantled, already stripped of precious stones, and more than four kilograms of 18-karat gold bars. Their value was estimated at approximately 284,800 euros. According to investigators, this method of storage indicates preparations for melting down the gold to conceal its origin and facilitate further sale. In addition, 20,000 euros in cash were seized.
Investigators were able to identify the owner of one of the confiscated watches, valued at 12,000 euros, and returned the property to them. Work is ongoing to determine the origin of about forty other pieces of jewelry. Additionally, the inspection uncovered 34 administrative violations related to non-compliance with city regulations. The Catalan police also issued three reports for lacking the required documentation and failing to meet registration requirements for transactions involving precious metals.
