Police arrest 16-year-old in Castellón, fourth detention in Blocus Vlc looting case

The fourth arrest in Castellón

Spanish National Police detained a 16-year-old boy in Castellón province at about 8:15 on Friday, 13 November, according to a police statement. He is accused of conspiring to commit public disorder, conspiring to commit crimes against property and belonging to an organised group. Police say he was fully identified as one of the participants in the 'Blocus Vlc' chat, where he allegedly coordinated tasks alongside other members. In that chat he is said to have called for arson and for streets to be blocked so that shops in central Valencia could be looted. The exact location within the province was not specified. He was expected to be handed over to the juvenile prosecutor's office in the hours after his arrest.

Earlier arrests in October

The first arrest in the case came on 28 October, when a 17-year-old was detained as the alleged creator of the group's channels on instant messaging apps. The juvenile prosecutor ordered him placed in a youth centre. Two days later, on Friday, 30 October, police arrested an 18-year-old in Alfafar, a town in the Valencia region, for his alleged active participation. After he appeared before a judge, he was ordered into provisional prison, which is pre-trial detention rather than a sentence. According to ABC, he also instructed other participants on how to make Molotov cocktails.

On the afternoon of Saturday, 31 October, police arrested a 16-year-old near the Plaza de Toros bullring in Valencia, a spot the group had picked for vandalism and looting that afternoon. He was wearing gloves and clothing to cover his face, and police seized his mobile phone.

The Halloween call in Valencia

Calls for disorder on 31 October, Halloween night, led police to deploy a large force in the city centre of Valencia. Shops closed their doors early and boarded up their windows against possible damage. According to ABC, no incident took place that night. The same outlet reports that the alleged leader of the movement in Spain was arrested in Picanya. Police say the group's members had urged others to loot shops in the centre that afternoon.

How the group allegedly operated

Police describe the group as operating through instant messaging channels, where members coordinated actions and called on others to set fires and block streets. Police say the group's members instigated others to commit looting in shops in the centre of Valencia. The 17-year-old is described as the creator of those channels. According to ABC, the 18-year-old is said to have taught other participants how to make Molotov cocktails.

Investigation continues

Police said the investigations continue with the aim of fully establishing what happened. With the arrest on Friday, police count four detentions in the case since 28 October. Three of the four detainees are minors, aged 17 and 16, and the fourth is 18. The 16-year-old arrested on Friday is expected to be handed to the juvenile prosecutor's office, and the police statement describes the case as still open.