Barcelona authorities inspected 23 24-hour supermarkets in the Vila de Gràcia neighbourhood on October 29 and ordered 11 to close temporarily. Nine of the businesses had electricity connections that bypassed the meter or other irregularities in their supply, while three had pest problems, according to reports by El Periódico and 3Cat cited in the source article. The inspections were carried out as part of the city’s Plan Endreça.
Around 100 people took part in the operation, including municipal technicians, the Guardia Urbana, labour inspectors, tax officials, the National Police and energy company Endesa. Barcelona’s first deputy mayor, Laia Bonet, said that bringing together different agencies allows inspections to draw on specialist advice and staff from beyond the city administration.
The operation recorded 242 alleged violations. These included 99 related to business licences, 52 concerning urban landscape rules, 23 involving public health and 23 related to waste. Authorities also noted 10 labour violations, five cases involving the occupation of public space and 30 tax-related violations, split evenly between municipal and state taxes.
The article describes this as the 17th large-scale inspection during the current municipal term. Since November 2023, authorities have inspected 682 businesses, recording 5,097 violations and ordering 110 precautionary measures. The closures and violations from the latest operation remain provisional while the relevant proceedings are resolved.
Barcelona suspended new licences for 24-hour supermarkets for one year in May, after Mayor Jaume Collboni raised concerns about the concentration of such businesses. The article says around 1,300 licences had already been granted. Some shops have continued opening, including businesses with licences issued before the suspension and others that reportedly do not have one.
The article also cites an earlier operation, Nihari, in December 2025. Inspectors found that 24 of 26 supermarkets checked across six Barcelona districts were using electricity that bypassed the meter. The suspected fraud was estimated at 2.85 million kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the annual consumption of 814 homes. The Civil Guard opened proceedings against 26 people at the time.
According to figures attributed to Endesa, the company detected 72,700 cases of electricity fraud in 2025, its highest total in five years. Barcelona city accounted for 5,487 cases, 891 more than in 2024. The National Commission on Markets and Competition estimates that electricity fraud adds around €150 million to bills.
Sources: Xataka.