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Puigdemont's 'magic' Catalan escape: a white vacation car and thought rogue police

Now you see him, now you really, really don't.

It was magic, stated former Barcelona mayor Xavier Trias, of how Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont appeared at a. rally in main Barcelona on Thursday and then, embarrassingly. for authorities, disappeared.

Puigdemont, 61, deals with an arrest warrant for declared. embezzlement over his role in holding an unlawful referendum on. self-reliance for Catalonia in 2017. However, he returned to. Spain as he had actually previously announced, entering the. nation for the very first time considering that running away to Belgium by automobile that. year.

And at least by Thursday night, he had actually not been. apprehended.

Wearing a blue coat, tie and trainers, Puigdemont was. shot approaching the early morning rally from a backstreet.

Shielding his face, he walked beside Jordi Turull, his. party's secretary general, and 2 other males in baseball caps.

They emerged into a crowd of supporters, who formed a circle. around Puigdemont and began to shout President! and movie on. phones.

He got into a run to reach the phase at the Arc de Triomf. boulevard where he offered a short speech before a crowd that. organisers said numbered some 10,000 individuals. He had actually returned, he. said, to exercise his right to take part in a parliamentary. vote for the area's brand-new president.

Then he vanished.

Video video shows Puigdemont's longtime lawyer Gonzalo. Boye gesture to him from behind a white screen on the stage and. appear to mouth the word vamonos - let's go.

A speaker announcement asked fans to form a human. passage to escort Puigdemont and other separatist politicians. to the neighboring local parliament for the vote. The other. politicians started, followed closely by the media.

Puigdemont could not be seen.

GETAWAY CAR

Authorities suspect that Puigdemont entered a white car. coming from a policeman and left the area, a. spokesperson for the Catalan interior department stated.

The local police, known as the Mossos d'Esquadra, said. 2 of its officers had been detained as the force examined. Puigdemont's location. One of them was the owner of the car. believed to have actually been used as a getaway vehicle.

The cops had actually tried but stopped working to stop the vehicle, the. Mossos said in a declaration, including that it had actually intended to. arrest Puigdemont on his return to Catalonia, but at a time. created to avoid public disorder.

La Vanguardia newspaper released a picture and video. showing an automobile that appeared to have come from an underground. parking garage, with a wheelchair in the front passenger seat.

A Catalan federal government source told Reuters authorities believe. the vehicle was waiting in a handicapped parking slot.

The source stated a small group of Mossos officers loyal to. Puigdemont - who had provided security to him in neighbouring. France while they were off responsibility - were involved.

The group was part of an unique security unit developed by the. previous local federal government and dismantled by the current one,. the source said, adding, We have an issue with that group and. we knew it.

Mossos launched Operation Cage, setting up road blocks and. examining car boots on routes out of the city, but by Thursday. night had stopped working to trap their prey.

I can not inform you anything

(source: Reuters)