The new metal detectors, shovel-shaped, have now been deployed in this operation involving the Mossos d’Esquadra, alongside the Guàrdia Urbana, the Policía Nacional, and TMB workers. The raid resulted in the arrest of six people and the identification of 94 individuals with a total of 306 police records.
The arrests were for offenses including assault, robbery with violence and intimidation, sexual assault by touching, and threats with a bladed weapon and assault. During the operation, a knife and a balaclava were seized. Action was also taken following an assault on security guards at the Sagrera metro station, whose alleged perpetrators have been identified and are pending charges.
These metal detectors facilitate searches, making them faster and eliminating the need for manual checks. According to the police, they are used when there are indications or a potential risk of individuals or groups carrying concealed metallic objects, and can also help locate abandoned items in public spaces.
These actions are part of the Daga plan, launched in 2023 to curb the rise in crimes involving bladed weapons, which had seen a 44% increase in 2022 across Catalonia. Despite this growth, data from the first half of 2026 in Barcelona indicates a 6.1% decrease in bladed weapon interventions and a 20.9% drop in related incidents.
Despite the overall reduction, several recent incidents have been recorded in the city, including the death of a man with stab wounds in Sant Adrià de Besòs, an assault on a relative with a bladed weapon in Nou Barris, and a fatal stabbing in La Barceloneta.
