Spanish law enforcement has dismantled a clandestine laboratory in Terrassa, Barcelona, accused of manufacturing and distributing unauthorized veterinary medicines for birds. The operation, led by the Guardia Civil and the Agentes Rurales, resulted in four arrests and the seizure of 150 pharmaceutical products. An EFE report dated August 19, 2026, also reported four arrests and 150 medicines seized. The investigation account also lists nearly 70 kilograms of active ingredients and more than €100,000 in cash among the seized items.
The suspects, aged between 42 and 76 and mostly related, were detained on July 23 during coordinated raids at the Terrassa laboratory and a residence in Rubí. Authorities also confiscated mobile devices, storage equipment, packaging materials and a labeling machine. Two additional individuals, including the owner of a Badalona-based wholesaler, are under investigation for their suspected roles in the organization.
Investigators said the group continued producing medicines after the laboratory’s authorization was suspended in November 2023 and definitively revoked in January 2026. Codenamed Tilosina, the operation began after unauthorized bird products were traced from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Catalonia in 2016. Further evidence surfaced during a 2023 search in Sabadell, prompting a joint investigation by SEPRONA, the Guardia Civil’s environmental protection service, and the Agentes Rurales’ Fauna and Flora Support Group.
The products included antibiotics, antifungals and antiparasitics, along with treatments for digestive and intestinal infections and singing stimulants. Some combined multiple active substances; others required veterinary prescriptions. The medicines were sold to trusted clients through closed social media groups, with payment in cash or via Bizum. They were distributed to countries including Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, the United States and Morocco. Transport company data showed nearly 500 shipments over four years. Active ingredients were imported from China and India through companies without health authorization, while delivery notes described the sales as food supplements.
On the day of the operation, 35 officers and technical staff from the Guardia Civil, Agentes Rurales and the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) took part in the raids, alongside veterinary services from the Generalitat de Catalunya and local councils. The four detainees face charges including crimes against public health and falsification of veterinary medicines, as well as document fraud, smuggling, tax offenses, money laundering, industrial property violations, fraud, professional misconduct and membership in a criminal organization.
The two additional suspects were questioned on July 28 and 31. The criminal group allegedly managed several companies, dividing administrative tasks, receipt of active ingredients and distribution among its members. The case remains open and is being handled by the Instruction Section of the Terrassa Court. So far, investigators have identified no specific cases of harm linked to the products, largely because of the covert nature of their distribution.
Illegal veterinary medicines can pose risks because their composition and safety are not subject to the controls applied to authorized products. AEMPS issues warnings about the dangers of unapproved animal medicines. Other cases involving fraud and impersonation of Guardia Civil officers have also been reported, including a recent incident in Madrid where a man posed as an officer to commit fraud.
