Five men dressed as police pulled a man from his car and forced him into another vehicle on the AP-7 near Barcelona. Witnesses filmed the attack, which has sparked a major police investigation and raised alarms about criminal tactics on Spanish highways.
Traffic on the AP-7 outside Barcelona stopped cold when five men in police vests yanked a bloodied man from his car and shoved him into another vehicle. The attack happened in broad daylight on one of Spain's busiest highways. Drivers watched in shock. Police rushed to figure out what happened.
The abduction took place at 19:30 on Saturday near Montornès del Vallès. At first, it looked like a minor crash. Then the group, dressed to look like Policía Nacional, walked up to the second car with clear intent. Reports from Spanish media and police say the men dragged the victim from his car between Montornès del Vallès and Vilanova del Vallès. The Mossos d'Esquadra are treating the case as possible illegal detention or kidnapping.
The victim was found alive and in good condition about an hour to an hour and a half after the attack, despite having facial injuries and being covered in blood at the scene.
People driving by filmed the whole thing on their phones. The victim, with blood on his face, was dragged across the road in full view of passing cars. Several Spanish outlets say these videos have been key for investigators. The footage helped police quickly piece together what happened and confirm details.
The Mossos d'Esquadra believe this was likely a criminal score-settling. The attackers used police disguises and moved fast. Sources inside the Mossos, quoted by ARA and Crónica Global, say the main theory is that the abduction was staged or meant to intimidate, probably tied to organized crime disputes.
The AP-7 has seen trouble before. As reported earlier, similar attacks have led to calls for more vigilance and better protection for drivers in the area.
The case is being handled by the División de Investigación Criminal (DIC) of the Mossos d'Esquadra, and as of the latest reports, no arrests or identifications of the perpetrators have been made. Several publications highlight that the AP-7 has become a recurring location for organized crime and violent incidents, raising concerns about the use of police disguises in broad daylight on a busy highway.
The victim was found alive, but the case is still open. Police are working to find and arrest the attackers. The use of fake police uniforms and the speed of the attack show how hard it is for law enforcement to tell real officers from fakes in tense moments.
Incidents like this show how exposed Spain's highways can be and how criminal groups keep changing their methods. This attack happened in plain sight, with witnesses filming but unable to step in. It points to the need for public awareness and fast police action. Until the suspects are caught, the AP-7 case is a sharp warning that even routine drives can turn violent without warning.
