Applicants arriving from Pakistan were charged as much as €30,000 for arrangements intended to secure entry to Spain through work visas and residence permits. People already in the country were charged up to €8,000 for simulated employment contracts intended to support regularisation.
The Mossos d'Esquadra arrested 50 people in Barcelona province in two phases on 26 and 27 October 2026: 48 men and two women. Seven were alleged members of the network; the other detainees were business owners accused of providing fraudulent job contracts. The operation involved 81 officers from the Mossos criminal investigation division.
The Catalan police say the organisation had maintained a stable, hierarchical structure since 2019, with defined roles and links in Pakistan. Its members connected prospective migrants with employers and handled recruitment and paperwork. Police identified 12 alleged network members and 62 business owners during the investigation; 43 of the business owners were arrested. The arrests took place across Barcelona and surrounding municipalities, including L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Sabadell, Terrassa, Vic, Sant Boi and Sant Vicenç dels Horts. Mossos described the case as its largest investigation to date concerning irregular immigration.
The investigation began after Mossos officers examined material seized in a separate inquiry. During searches in late February 2024, investigators found suspected fraudulent recruitment files at a Barcelona business-administration office. Analysis of seized computer equipment led them to the alleged network and to recruitment activity dating back to March 2022.
Between March 2022 and July 2023, the group processed 224 applications for recruitment from abroad. Authorities approved 108. The Mossos estimate those files generated more than €3.2 million, excluding fees for rejected or archived applications and paperwork for people already in Spain.
Some workers later faced precarious conditions that the police described as close to labour exploitation. Other employment arrangements were fictitious or ended soon after residence authorisations were obtained.
The arrests took place in two phases on 26 and 27 October 2026. The investigation remains open, and further arrests have not been ruled out. The operation is separate from the Núcleo Nacional case covered in an earlier police report. Three of the seven detained alleged network members were remanded in custody by court order. They face alleged offences including membership of a criminal organisation, offences against the rights of foreign citizens and document falsification; the detained business owners are accused of the latter two offences.
