On Tuesday evening, over 100 National Police officers simultaneously stormed a number of properties in the Son Banya shanty town as part of the second phase of Operation Nitrato which was mounted a few months ago.
Sixteen properties were searched and a clan known as "La Tailla" was dismantled and shut down. The clan was a Colombian outfit which controlled a large part of the "turf" and the drugs trade in the area.
At least eleven people have been arrested so far and more are expected to follow as the operation remains open.
This was the third operation the National Police's narcotics and serious crime unit has carried out in Son Banya this year. Varying amounts of heroine, cocaine and marijuana were seized. Police say that none of the clan members actually lived in Son Banya, they simply used it as a storage and distribution point.
Nearly 100 people have been arrested as a result of the three operations in which the police have been using the latest technology, including drones. The security forces are confident that they will have shut the drugs trade down by the time the bulldozers move in for the first phase of demolition of the shanty town. Police chiefs want as many clans and suppliers out of action as possible before Son Banya is demolished, amidst fears they will look for other areas in and around Palma to continue trafficking and dealing.