A Palma police officer has been arrested for having rented out storage rooms as living accommodation.
He was arrested by the National Police on Tuesday, the investigation having been initiated by the Balearic government's housing ministry.
He was reported by the ministry for alleged health violations in respect of some rooms that were being used as housing by immigrants whose status in Spain was 'irregular'. This report went to the Palma Police, who then transferred the case to the National Police.
Investigations established that the police officer was in charge of the renting out of 73 basement and ground floor storage rooms in the Gomila area.
The maximum size of these rooms was 15 square metres. Officers discovered that they had showers, ovens, fridges and toilets, but otherwise lacked lighting and ventilation. In some rooms, butane gas bottles were found. The immigrant tenants were paying up to 750 euros a month in rent.
The arrested officer, according to police sources, installed devices to control electricity consumption and manipulated bills so that the tenants paid for more than they had used.
He has been charged with fraud, offences against moral integrity and facilitating illegal immigration. He apparently registered twelve people fraudulently.