Having lived an worked in Spain for over a dozen years as a "giri" (roughly translated as an out-of-the-loop, anglo saxon whom they think have no clue) I do not find any part of this story surprising. Spain is a country of facades, false fronts, corruption and specialized organized crime of all sorts. It is well known within the society that who you know is more important than what you know. Particularly in Barcelona, being that it is the capital of Cataluña (a separatist state with its own distinct language and culture) this is especially true and tourists, as outsiders, are always a target. Witness a two page magazine ad I saw some years ago. The first page asked nothing more than, "What is Barcalona?" turn the page and the answer was, "It is the capital of Catauña, a country located in Spain". I'll predict that since they were caught with their
hands in the cookie jar this time, they'll be forced to make some sort of restoration or compensation. However, those responsible will never be found.
