Carles Puigdemont, a Catalan separatist, returns to Spain after seven years, despite the possibility of arrest.

• Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan separatist leader, returned to Spain after seven years of exile, disregarding a pending arrest warrant and sparking a police search.
• "They believed they would celebrate my arrest, but they are mistaken," he declared to his followers, raising his fist in the air. "Having a referendum is not, is not, and will never be a crime."
• Puigdemont, a 61-year-old man, is widely seen as a symbol of the Catalonian separatist movement against Spanish national control. He is currently being sought on charges of embezzlement, which he denies.

Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan separatist leader, returned to Spain after seven years of exile, disregarding a pending arrest warrant and sparking a police search.

A crowd of supporters gathered in Barcelona to hear a separatist politician who had fled Spain after an unsuccessful attempt to achieve Catalan independence in 2017.

"They believed they would celebrate my arrest, but they are mistaken," he declared to his followers, raising his fist in the air. "Having a referendum is not, is not, and will never be a crime."

Despite a heavy police presence, he seemed to disappear into the crowd following his speech.

Authorities in Barcelona swiftly initiated "Operation Cage," erecting roadblocks both inside and outside the city in a bid to trace Puigdemont's car.

Puigdemont mocked his pursuers in a series of CNBC-translated updates on the X social media platform, asking, "Am I inside the walls of Parliament?" and mocking media reports over the progress of Operation Cage, noting that "the ridiculousness is absolute."

CNBC has contacted Spain's Interior Ministry over whether Puigdemont has been detained.

The separatist politician has not been captured yet, according to a Catalan Interior Ministry spokesperson who spoke to Reuters.

Puigdemont, a 61-year-old man, is widely seen as a symbol of the Catalonian separatist movement against Spanish national control. He is currently being sought on charges of embezzlement, which he denies.

The chaotic return of Puigdemont on Thursday overshadows the investiture of Salvador Illa as Catalonia's new president, who won the largest share of the vote in the May Catalan elections, defeating Puigdemont's separatist party.

Parliament was able to begin its Thursday session despite the ongoing manhunt.

In a CNBC-translated social media update, Puigdemont appeared to mock Illa by saying, "Imagine being president and having a pirate steal all your attention while driving a car."

The reappearance of Puidgemont sparked anger in other parts of Spain's political sphere, with Ignacio Garriga, Secretary-General of the far-right Vox party, stating, "We are living through a real embarrassment and an international shame promoted and allowed by the Government of the nation." Garriga added, "We must find those responsible."

The Socialist administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has both an advantage and a risk in dealing with Puigdemont, who is crucial for achieving a parliamentary majority but also unpredictable. Sanchez came back to power last year after two failed attempts by conservative rival Alberto Nunez Feijoo to form a government.

The Socialist government's contentious amnesty Bill, which could pardon participants in the Catalan independence movement, passed in late May. However, Puigdemont's support for the bill is likely to come with a steep price tag. The Supreme Court excluded Puigdemont from receiving amnesty under the law, and a public prosecutor has now filed an appeal against the motion, according to local media.