Nine arrested for 53 graffiti incidents on trains in Catalonia

The Mossos d'Esquadra have arrested nine people for 53 counts of damage caused by graffiti on Rodalies, Ferrocarrils, and Barcelona metro trains. The damages exceed €229,000 and five of those arrested are repeat offenders.

The Mossos d'Esquadra have detained nine individuals as alleged perpetrators of 53 counts of damage due to graffiti on trains and carriages of Rodalies, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, and the Barcelona metro. The arrests took place at the end of last month, and the Mossos announced them this Friday. The damage caused to the trains exceeds €229,000.

Five of the detainees are repeat offenders in this type of crime, and some also have prior convictions for property crimes. The arrested individuals are aged between 20 and 36 years and have been released pending a summons from the judicial authority.

The incidents occurred in several locations: Sant Vicenç de Calders, Martorell, Sitges, Montcada i Reixac, Cornellà de Llobregat, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Ripoll, Garraf, Granollers, Sant Vicenç de Castellet, and Badalona. The graffiti artists illegally accessed the railway facilities and painted large surfaces on parked trains.

The impact is not only economic. Trains must be temporarily withdrawn from circulation for cleaning and repairs, causing delays in service. The police also remind of the environmental cost of restoration efforts and the risks these incursions pose to the safety of the facilities.

The investigation began in March 2024 and is part of the Mural operation, focused on repeated crimes against trains of various railway operators in Catalonia. It has been assigned to the specialized unit combating damage in the railway sector of the Central Airport and Public Transport Area (ACAT).

In recent months, the Mossos have increased police presence at various stations and incident investigation teams on the network. This year, preventive measures against graffiti and vandalism, called Iris, have been deployed at stations in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. These include specific patrols and a drone unit to detect vulnerable points, as well as coordination with the security of operators and infrastructure managers.

The operations also include citizen security units and private surveillance teams to detect vandalism and protect railway facilities, according to police sources.