The mayor of Salou, Pere Granados, has publicly condemned the Ajuntament de Cambrils, the Mossos d'Esquadra and the regional Interior Minister Núria Parlon for what he describes as a lack of political will and tolerance towards the expansion of an illegal street market. The market, known locally as 'top manta', has grown to around 200 vendors operating each evening near Cap de Sant Pere – a location within Cambrils' municipal boundary but adjacent to Salou.

Granados made the remarks during a press briefing where he presented recent images showing rows of unlicensed vendors selling counterfeit goods. He said the site may now be the largest illegal market in Catalonia, calling it an 'unsustainable' problem that damages the reputation of Salou and the Costa Daurada. He added that some tour guides are now actively promoting the market to visitors, further amplifying its reach.

It's an attack on the image of Salou and the whole Costa Daurada.

Granados accused Cambrils' local council of inaction, stating that if the same activity occurred near Cambrils' port or town centre, it would have been addressed immediately. He noted that Salou has been unfairly blamed as the epicentre of distribution, despite vendors living across multiple municipalities. "They live close to where they can sell. If they couldn't sell at Cap de Sant Pere, they wouldn't live here," he said.

The mayor also criticised a large-scale police operation carried out by the Mossos d'Esquadra in mid-June, calling it a "staged display" involving helicopters, drones and ARRO units. While the operation led to several arrests and the seizure of illegal goods – including a 17 June raid that dismantled a major distribution network and recovered an estimated €5.6 million worth of counterfeit items – Granados argued that such one-off actions are ineffective without sustained preventive policing.

He pointed out that Salou's local police cannot intervene when vendors transport goods through the town, as the act of carrying items is not illegal. The sale occurs across the border in Cambrils, where enforcement falls under a different jurisdiction. José Luis Gargallo, inspector of Salou's local police, explained that vendors often present invoices and delivery notes from industrial warehouses, making administrative intervention difficult.

  • Market size: ~200 vendors
  • Location: Cap de Sant Pere, Cambrils
  • Goods sold: counterfeit clothing, accessories, electronics
  • Enforcement challenge: jurisdictional split between municipalities

Granados revealed he had sent a formal letter to relevant authorities requesting a joint meeting to address the issue. The meeting is expected to take place at the Government Delegation in Tarragona, though no date has been set. He warned that if Cambrils fails to act, Salou may pursue legal action.

This follows a recent joint police operation on 9 July involving the Mossos d'Esquadra, Guardia Civil and National Police, during which two officers sustained minor injuries after vendors threw stones and objects. Around 70 people were present at the height of the incident, with 12 involved in the violence. Authorities seized approximately 2,600 counterfeit items and issued two administrative fines, but no arrests were made.

Reported by Source Text Link, Guillem RS, CatalunyaPress.es, Jan Magarolas, Esteve Giralt, infocamp.cat, diaridetarragona.com, ARA, Redacción digital Noticias Cuatro, tarragonadigital.com, europapress.es, Exa, Revista Cambrils.