Illegal New Year's rave comes to an end

The illegal days-long New Year's rave in an abandoned building in the Les Mataltes industrial estate in La Sénia, in southern Catalonia, has come to an end. 

The organizers stopped playing music and began removing the equipment from inside the venue from 6pm on Sunday, police sources confirmed.

However, up to 250 people, with around 80 vehicles, remained in the area by Monday morning.

For this reason, the Mossos d'Esquadra police force kept a unit in the area with 25 officers to identify and carry out alcohol and drug checks.

Hundreds of identifications have been made and dozens of complaints have been processed, including for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Despite being located about 2km from the town, the rave caused concern in the municipality of La Sénia, especially among owners of nearby farms. Some people had camped in the olive groves, where part of the harvest is still on the ground waiting to be picked.

One of the owners of the warehouses informed the La Sénia City Council that they will report the occupation of the space.