Spain’s interior ministry said on Friday it was sending more state police to Catalonia to maintain order and make sure a banned referendum on independence does not take place. The interior ministry has not disclosed how many more police officers it is sending to the region but Spanish media said between 3,000 and 4,000 had already arrived or were on their way. They would join the roughly 5,000 state police normally stationed in Catalonia and around 17,000 Mossos officers. “They will be tasked with surveillance of public space and maintaining order and they will act in case the illegal referendum is maintained,” the interior ministry said in a statement. The interior ministry has told police in Catalonia they will not be able to take time off between September 20 and October 5.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 22, 2017 11:37 UTC