Alleged founder of Blocus Spain remanded in custody without bail

A court in Torrent, Valencia, ordered the alleged founder and organiser of Blocus Spain to be remanded in custody without bail on Saturday. 

The suspect was arrested on Friday in the Valencian town of Picanya over his alleged involvement in organising calls for riots and looting through social media.

According to the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV), the precautionary measure includes a specific restriction: the suspect will not be allowed to access computers or any other devices inside the prison that would enable him to connect to social media platforms.

The man is under investigation in a criminal case involving alleged participation in a criminal organisation aimed at inciting public disorder, burglaries targeting commercial establishments and criminal damage. The legal classification of the alleged offences may change as the investigation progresses.

Five arrested over calls for riots in Valencia

The Spanish National Police and Civil Guard have arrested five people in recent days for their alleged involvement in organising calls for riots, looting and acts of vandalism scheduled for Saturday, 31 October, in Valencia.

Three arrests took place in the province of Valencia, specifically in Valencia city, Alfafar and Picanya, while the other two were carried out in Bilbao and Lleida.

The first arrest took place on Wednesday in Valencia, where officers detained a 17-year-old minor believed to have created the Blocus VLC communication channels, which were allegedly used to encourage the looting of shops across the city.

The teenager had a previous police record and was serving a sentence under an open-regime arrangement. The Juvenile Prosecutor's Office ordered his provisional placement in a specialised detention centre.

The second arrest was announced on Friday and involved an 18-year-old man detained in Alfafar.

According to the National Police, the suspect had been sharing instructions on social media explaining how to manufacture Molotov cocktails and how to operate during looting incidents.

The young man appeared before the court in Catarroja on Saturday.

Alleged Blocus leader presented himself as head of the organisation

The third suspect arrested in the province of Valencia was detained in Picanya and is considered by the Civil Guard to be the founder and principal organiser of Blocus Spain.

According to investigators, the suspect had publicly presented himself as the organisation's leader in videos shared through Telegram, one of the platforms allegedly used to promote the planned demonstrations and disturbances.

Security forces are investigating his possible connection to the riots that took place in Barcelona on 24 October, as well as to subsequent calls for similar incidents to be repeated in Valencia on Saturday.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the suspect's alleged involvement in the offences has yet to be established by a court.