A coordinated police operation in Catalonia has uncovered an arms trafficking network run from inside Quatre Camins prison. Led by a 37-year-old inmate serving a homicide sentence since 2009, the group relied on close family members to handle logistics and marketing, as well as distribute illegal weapons and explosives. Authorities arrested nine people and seized 45 firearms and a grenade, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition, some classified as military-grade, and impressive quantities of explosives. Prices for the illicit arsenal ranged from €4,000 to over €100,000, depending on the weapons and ammunition involved. Coverage identified the investigation as “caso Seven,” involving a jailed ringleader who directed the network with help from his daughters.
Investigators from Mossos d’Esquadra and the Policía Nacional said the operation was coordinated using mobile phones smuggled into the prison, allowing the leader to stay in constant contact with his network. His family played a basic role: his daughter made promotional videos demonstrating the weapons’ features and functionality, then circulated them to potential buyers via WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) and other messaging apps, including Telegram and Signal. His mother handled physical distribution, often delivering arms in public parking lots or commercial areas. Police were surprised by her discretion.
The investigation began as an offshoot of a broader criminal probe launched in December 2025. Investigators identified the prison-based ringleader in January. The family home served as the basic storage site, with most weapons kept in a car parked outside. Authorities described the group as highly organized, with a clear division of roles: the core family managed sales and logistics, while a secondary network of collaborators sourced specific weapons on demand for clients.
Police sources said the network served organized crime groups exclusively, not private collectors. It could supply many firearms, from AR-15 and AK-47 rifles to high-capacity shotguns and handguns, along with grenades and war ammunition. The buyer’s budget was the only real limitation. The group supplied arms across Catalonia and France, with deliveries also reaching the Comunidad Valenciana and Madrid. Authorities described it as a major supply chain for criminal organizations.
During the raids, officers found that 38 of the 45 seized firearms were expertly counterfeited handguns, reportedly convincing enough that buyers had no doubts about their authenticity. The investigation remains open, with particular attention on its financial aspects and the broader distribution network across Spain.
The case reflects how organized crime in Spain is adapting, with family ties and digital communication increasingly used to evade detection. Other recent criminal investigations have shown a similar use of encrypted messaging apps, with relatives involved in marketing and logistics. Mossos d’Esquadra have also pursued separate firearms cases in the region. Between January and September 2026, Catalan police reported seizing 323 firearms, including real, imitation and simulated weapons. In a separate investigation in Sabadell, four people were arrested after residents reported masked individuals near vehicles. Officers found an AK-47-type rifle, a pistol and an electric stun device while investigating whether the group was planning an assault and had links to drug trafficking. The Sabadell case was separate from “caso Seven.” Catalonia has also seen several high-profile violent incidents in recent years, including a case in Lleida in which police responded to a violent death, as reported in coverage of serious incidents in Lleida and Girona.
Separate reporting on violent youth groups in Catalonia has highlighted police concerns that firearms could become part of criminal activity already involving knife violence, drug trafficking and violent robberies. That regional security context does not establish a link between those groups and the prison-directed trafficking network.
Spain’s legal structure imposes strict penalties for arms trafficking, and authorities continue to prioritize dismantling supply chains that feed organized crime. The operation shows the challenges law enforcement faces in tracking illicit arms flows, particularly as criminal groups adapt to new technologies and use family ties to maintain secrecy. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities expecting further arrests and seeking to clarify the financial mechanisms behind the trade.
