Police dismantle network of 18 pickpockets targeting tourists in Palma Beach
National Police officers have arrested 18 individuals suspected of belonging to a criminal organisation dedicated to stealing from foreign visitors in Mallorca's tourist zone.
Police dismantle network of 18 pickpockets targeting tourists in Palma Beach
A National Police operation has concluded with the arrest of 18 people in Palma on suspicion of belonging to a gang dedicated to stealing belongings from tourists. The arrests followed confirmation that the group had committed at least 38 robberies using violent methods against visitors.
The Superior Police Authority of the Balearic Islands explained, in a note reported by Majorca Daily Bulletin, that an increase in robbery reports in the Palma Beach areas with the highest concentration of travellers prompted the start of the investigation.
Investigators from the Robbery Group determined that the acts were the work of an international criminal structure with a well-defined pyramidal organisation. The group's composition was predominantly Romanian nationality, although it also included an individual of Algerian origin and another from Morocco. They acted in a coordinated manner, distributing tasks among members: certain members would blend into the festive atmosphere of the coastal area to identify potential targets, whom they subsequently signalled to their associates.
Once a victim was selected, the accomplices would approach and employ various distraction tactics. Frequently, they would conduct concealed body searches to locate wallets and mobile phones, or examine whether wristwatches had commercial value. When the target proved suitable, they would proceed with the theft, not hesitating to use force if necessary. In situations where the tourist attempted to retrieve their belongings, the group would corner them and threaten them with bladed weapons.
After obtaining the loot, they would transfer it to other accomplices who would quickly leave the area. They subsequently threw the wallets to the ground, where another group member would feign finding them and return them to the victim, although already emptied of cash.
The affected tourists, in most cases, thanked the supposed helper, unaware that the "good samaritan" was part of the gang that had just stripped them of their belongings. This tactic, according to officers, was designed to prevent victims from filing a formal complaint and thereby triggering a police investigation.
Last Wednesday night, a team of officers deployed a surveillance operation in Palma Beach and directly observed the criminal scheme in operation. At that moment they arrested 14 individuals caught in the act and seized various stolen items. The remaining four people were located and arrested in the following hours.
In total, those arrested face charges for 38 theft offences—either completed or attempted—in addition to two robberies involving violence and intimidation. The case remains open and the authorities do not rule out further arrests in the future.
Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin