The arrests took place on April 16 in Barcelona, as part of a joint investigation by the Central Airport and Public Transport Area (ACAT) and the Regional Urban Transport Area (ARTU). The investigation began after analyzing repeated large-scale graffiti on parked trains belonging to public operators.

In addition to the significant economic cost, the acts of vandalism have caused relevant environmental alterations, train delays, and risks to railway safety, according to the officers. In the operation to locate those responsible, the police arrested ten individuals, reported nine others through criminal proceedings, and executed four additional arrest warrants.

Among those identified are both individuals who had not been previously investigated and others who had already been charged for similar incidents in 2023 and 2024. The majority of those involved are repeat offenders with numerous prior records for similar offenses. Besides damages related to graffiti, they also have records for theft and robbery with force, and one of the detainees also had a record for assault on authority.

In recent months, the Catalan police have increased their preventive activity at various stations and expanded the teams dedicated to the analysis and prevention of railway incidents. This operation, named Iris, has been deployed in several municipalities, at different times and days, and has incorporated the Drone Unit to detect vulnerable points and improve response capabilities against vandalism.