A 24-year-old Albanian man has been arrested by the Guardia Civil and charged with having committed robberies from at least fifty hotel rooms in Majorca, Ibiza and Barcelona.
From the end of 2016 there were reports of robberies from rooms in Magalluf and Palma hotels. In none of these cases was there any sign of forced entry. A Guardia Civil investigation eventually led officers to conclude that an electronic device was being used to gain access to the rooms. This device sabotaged electronic locks and magnetic keys but was undetectable to hotel staff.
Two weeks ago, on 13 October, staff at a hotel in Magalluf surprised the robber after he had just committed broken into a room. They tackled him but he was able to get away. The Guardia Civil followed this up and were able to locate and detain him.
Stolen goods included laptops, mobile phones, tablets and watches. The Guardia also found several "false" keys and the means of making these electronic devices. Subsequent investigations found that a number of stolen items had been sold to secondhand shops in Palma and Barcelona.
The Guardia say that the arrested man went about the robberies with great "professionalism". The investigation is ongoing, as it is suspected that he committed more than the fifty robberies that are known about. He has appeared in court and is now in prison.