Five men wearing reflective vests marked “POLICIA” dragged a bloodied, partially undressed man from a car on a busy highway outside Barcelona on Saturday evening and forced him into another vehicle, Catalan police said, as they investigate what they believe may be a score-settling between criminal groups.
The incident unfolded around 7:30 p.m. on the AP-7 motorway between Montornès del Vallès and Vilanova del Vallès. Witnesses said two vehicles boxed in a third car after what appeared to be a minor collision. Five men in black clothing and balaclavas then approached, pulled the man from the back seat and shoved him into one of their cars before driving away, according to Spanish news outlet Moncloa.
🇪🇸🔴 JUST IN: Armed men posing as police officers kidnapped a victim in the middle of the AP-7 highway outside Barcelona.
Five men in black clothing wearing “POLICIA” reflective vests dragged a bloodied, partially undressed man out of a car near Montornès del Vallès.
They then… pic.twitter.com/bshm8lLzKW
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) September 20, 2026Video recorded by other drivers shows the men, some wearing high-visibility vests that resembled those used by Spain’s National Police, struggling with the victim on the roadway as traffic backed up around them. One motorist who filmed the scene and called emergency services can be heard saying, “There’s a kidnapping on the AP-7,” and telling operators the men were carrying pistols.
Mossos d’Esquadra officers later located the man in another part of Catalonia. Police sources told the newspaper Ara he was “safe and sound.” Authorities said his facial injuries were not serious and that there was no indication a ransom had been paid. The vehicle used to take him away was found abandoned a short time later.
The Mossos’ Criminal Investigation Division has opened a case for alleged illegal detention and is examining whether the suspects committed impersonation of police officers. No arrests have been announced.
Police have not officially confirmed a motive, but investigators and sources familiar with the case have pointed to a dispute between criminal groups, possibly tied to drug-related debts or drug heist. Spanish media reported that the victim had recently been released from prison but this detail has not been independently confirmed by police.
Such a brazen abduction in daylight on one of Catalonia’s main highways is unusual, though robberies targeting motorists have occurred on the AP-7 in the past.
