Ten held in Blocus sweep as police widen looting probe

Police have detained ten young people, including four minors, in a widening Blocus investigation into alleged online calls to loot shops and attack officers, with arrests made across Spain including Barcelona, Lleida and Valencia.

The latest wave of detentions was disclosed on Thursday evening and comes days after the first arrests in the case. It follows CNS’s earlier report on the arrest of the alleged founder of the group, which is linked to social media calls for unrest. Read our earlier report here.

According to the information released so far, the arrests were carried out by the Policía Nacional, Guardia Civil and Mossos d’Esquadra. Police said the suspects are being investigated over messages that allegedly urged people to target shops and confront security forces.

Three arrests in Catalonia

In Catalonia, three people have now been detained in connection with the inquiry. One is a 16-year-old arrested in Bellmunt d’Urgell, in Lleida province, over an alleged call for a violent gathering in the city.

Another is a 17-year-old detained in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, near Barcelona, over his alleged role in a messaging channel linked to the organisation of looting and disorder on 24 October. A third young man, aged 18, was arrested in Barcelona itself.

Investigators have also carried out arrests elsewhere in Spain, including Valencia, Bilbao, Málaga and Tenerife. The total number of people detained in the latest stage of the operation is now ten, with four of them minors.

Police say the inquiry remains open and further arrests have not been ruled out. The focus is on online channels and private chat groups that allegedly helped spread calls for unrest before the Halloween weekend.

In Catalonia, the Mossos have also moved to shut down several Telegram channels they say were being used to circulate the messages, while others remain under surveillance.

The case is centred on suspected online incitement rather than a single physical incident, with officers examining how the material was shared and who helped coordinate it. Police have not said the investigation is complete.

How the operation is unfolding

The arrests appear to form part of a coordinated national sweep rather than isolated local cases. Earlier detentions in the same inquiry included the alleged founder of Blocus, who was arrested in Picanya, near Valencia.

Police have not publicly detailed the full list of allegations for each suspect, but the case has been described as involving public disorder, damage and alleged incitement to looting. For now, the investigation continues across several regions.