The Civil Guard has dismantled a network of clandestine aesthetic clinics that operated in Barcelona, Bizkaia, Las Palmas, and Asturias, with seven operations that have resulted in nine arrests. Two of the arrests were made in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, in actions focused on L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Cornellà de Llobregat.
The investigation places the main contrast of the case in the profile of the plot, which combined people without health training with registered professionals to administer aesthetic treatments out of control, in hairdressers, unlicensed centers, and also at home. The agents seized 115,000 euros and 10,000 doses of Botox introduced mainly from South Korea and Vietnam.
The network mixed untrained staff and registered professionals
Investigators attribute to the organization a system for the distribution and application of illegal aesthetic products in different parts of the country. In the Barcelona area, actions were concentrated in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Cornellà de Llobregat, two of the municipalities where the Civil Guard located part of the activity.
In addition to Botox, agents seized hyaluronic acid and diabetes medications that the plot used improperly for weight loss treatments. The network offered these substances in spaces that did not have a health license and also sent people to apply the products in homes.
The operation also resulted in nine arrests in seven police actions spread across Barcelona, Bizkaia, Las Palmas, and Asturias.
Health warns of serious infections and irreversible sequelae
The risk, according to health warnings related to this type of practice, increases when products are handled without health control and without guaranteeing the cold chain. In such cases, the administration of Botox or other substances can lead to serious infections and allergic reactions.
Facial paralysis and irreversible sequelae can also appear when the treatment is applied by unqualified personnel or when the product offers no guarantees about its origin and preservation.
During the raid on the network, the Civil Guard seized 115,000 euros and 10,000 doses of Botox mainly from South Korea and Vietnam.