The National Police have arrested more than 450 people in Palma as part of the special ‘Operation Summer’ initiative, of which around 190 were in Playa de Palma alone, where most were caught red-handed for robbery and theft, allowing numerous items stolen from tourists to be recovered. According to the force’s spokesperson, Alejandro Becerra, “the majority of crimes recorded were thefts on beaches, in hotels, and in establishments.”
He explained that a large part of the thefts occur on the beach, where specialised criminals act in groups to distract bathers and steal their belongings. Becerra added that there have also been numerous incidents of pickpocketing and bag snatching in the city center and in hotels, where criminals take advantage of check-in and check-out times to steal suitcases and belongings.
In addition, they also use techniques such as observing tourists’ PIN numbers in establishments and then stealing their cards and using them fraudulently. “To prevent this type of crime, we have a major collaboration with the Playa de Palma Hoteliers Association,” said the spokesperson. Becerra stressed that, in addition to thefts, there have been arrests for violent robberies, robberies with force, and robberies against public health, with specific measures to curb the sale of drugs on public streets.
The head of the Playa de Palma District police station, Francisco Javier Santos, explained that, thanks to the work of the investigation teams from the various police stations in Palma, more than 15 organised criminal groups dedicated to theft and fraud have been dismantled. “These are illegal groups or associations that are well-organised, hierarchical, and have a division of tasks,” said Santos, adding that they sometimes operate in other tourist areas in Spain and move to the Balearics in the summer.
At the same event, the National Police bid farewell to officers from Germany and the Netherlands who have been patrolling Playa de Palma this summer as part of the European police station project.
The senior police chief, José Luis Santafé, thanked them for their work and that of the consular authorities, emphasising the importance of their collaboration.