Twelve more illegal immigrants have been picked up, having arrived in Majorca on small boats.
The Guardia Civil was notified at eight o'clock yesterday morning of two people with a "Maghrebi appearance" in Portopetro who might have been illegal immigrants. The helicopter and maritime services units plus land patrols responded to this. A small boat of the "patera" type, typically associated with illegal immigrant landings, was found on Ses Covetes beach. A second one was located by Cap de Ses Salines.
The twelve, all Moroccans, were apprehended. They were handed over to the National Police. The Guardia Civil, meanwhile, was continuing a search for other possible illegal immigrants. Within 72 hours, the immigrants will be transferred to a detention centre on the mainland and await deportation.
So far this year, six patera boats have been detected. In 2016, there were three, which was also the case in 2015. The year before, there were two.