Spain's Interior Ministry has 4000 agents ready to enter Catalonia in 24 hours

The Spanish government has a reserve of 4,000 agents with which is can reinforce within 24 hours the National Police Corps and Civil Guard in Catalonia in case their participation is necessary to guarantee the Constitutional Court's ruling against the independence referendum, according to Europa Press.

The Interior Ministry has, according to the report, designed a plan to almost double the number of agents of the State police forces that form their strength in Catalonia from 6,000 to 10,000. This could be increased significantly further still within 36 hours.

The majority of the agents belong to the National Police's Police Intervention Unit and the Reserve and Security Group of the Civil Guard.

Europa Press' sources indicate that "the referendum is a means to an end and what we don't want is for there to be altercations between radical groups and the State's police forces to cover the failure to hold the referendum." The police reinforcements would be able to guarantee the security perimetres around the buildings and bodies of the Spanish state in Catalonia.