Two arrested for stealing bank cards from elderly tourists in Mallorca using parking metre scam
The Civil Guard arrested two men from Eastern Europe accused of stealing bank cards from elderly tourists in Mallorca. They face seven criminal charges.
Two men arrested for stealing bank cards from elderly tourists in Mallorca
The Civil Guard has arrested two men, aged 27 and 28, accused of belonging to an organised gang dedicated to stealing bank cards from tourists in Mallorca, with a particular focus on elderly people. According to Majorca Daily Bulletin, the detainees, originally from Eastern Europe, face repeated charges of robbery with violence, theft and fraud.
The group's modus operandi consisted of approaching victims under the pretext of helping them make payments at parking metres in regulated parking areas, or by offering them some other form of assistance. During this distraction, the suspects would take the opportunity to steal the tourists' belongings, particularly their bank cards, which they subsequently used to carry out fraudulent operations.
The Puerto Andratx incident, key to the investigation
One of the incidents under investigation took place on 29 August in Puerto Andratx, where several members of the group approached a German tourist whilst he was using a parking metre. After stealing a credit card from him, those involved headed to a nearby cash machine to withdraw money.
The victim became aware of the theft when he saw the suspects at the cash machine and approached them. Feeling discovered, members of the group fled in a vehicle. During the flight, the driver ran over the tourist, who fell to the ground with force and suffered minor injuries, whilst the suspects managed to escape.
Following the investigations carried out, Civil Guard officers from Calvià located two of the alleged members of the group in El Arenal and proceeded to arrest them. At the time of arrest, the officers seized cash, several mobile phones and a mid-range vehicle.
Link to previous robberies in Santa Ponsa
The investigation has also linked the two detainees to several robberies and fraud committed last May in Santa Ponsa using a similar method. In those cases, the victims were likewise tourists, from whom the suspects would have stolen bank cards to use them later in fraudulent transactions.
To date, the Civil Guard attributes a total of seven criminal offences to the two detainees. Nevertheless, the investigation remains open and it is not ruled out that further criminal acts linked to the same group may come to light.
Source: Majorca Daily Bulletin