Mossos d'Esquadra have dismantled a criminal group involved in marihuana and arms trafficking in Lleida, arresting 12 men aged between 25 and 73. The operation, which concluded on 21 April, led to the seizure of various firearms and pneumatic weapons, along with the discovery of three indoor cannabis plantations.
Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) in Lleida began gathering evidence in late 2025. This intelligence pointed to a structured organisation managing cannabis farms across the city and, for some members, dealing illegal weapons and ammunition.
The police found the group had a stable, hierarchical, and coordinated structure, according to officials. A distinct leadership made strategic decisions on where to set up cultivation sites. The investigation also showed leaders acted as intermediaries in the buying and selling of firearms, which criminal groups often use to defend against 'narco-assaults' from rivals, or for their own use.
Uncovering the Network
Below the leadership were 'facilitators' who provided logistical support for the operation. They sought investors and managed the buying and selling of marihuana. At the lowest level were 'gardeners' responsible for maintaining and guarding the plantations, many of which were on properties outside the city of Lleida.
Working with the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Lleida Court of Instruction, police carried out six searches of properties and warehouses in Lleida on 21 April, along with one search of a home. The operation involved DIC investigators, Scientific Police, Canine Units, and assault teams from ARRO and BRIMO. Air support from the HÉLIX helicopter and officers from Citizen Security and TEDAX also helped, neutralising potential risks from weapons or dangerous items.
Plantations and Weapon Seizures
Two investigated warehouses contained active marihuana plantations at different growth stages, complete with typical cultivation equipment and illegal connections to the electricity grid. This also constituted a crime of electricity fraud. Small plantations were found in two other properties, one hidden in a specially adapted underground space for intensive cultivation. In total, officers located 1,300 cannabis plants.
Police seized 15 pneumatic long and short weapons of varying power, and one .22 calibre firearm. They also found various parts of other weapons and a significant amount of metallic and semi-metallic ammunition. Some of these pneumatic weapons, the firearm, and several seized parts have been sent to the Central Ballistics and Instrumental Traces Unit of the Scientific Police for further study due to their lethality.
One location even yielded a Civil War-era grenade, though it contained no explosive charge. In addition to the weapons, officers found €5,100 in cash. Eight arrests were made during the searches, with another four group members apprehended simultaneously in Lleida, Cambrils, Sabadell, and Vilanova i la Geltrú. All 12 appeared before a judge on 23 April, facing charges of belonging to a criminal group, public health offences, electricity fraud, and illegal possession and trafficking of weapons.
