Abdelaziz, Nacer G., Marouane, Ayoub, Zakaria and Abderraouf, all Algerian nationals aged between 18 and 21, were behind a series of around 20 thefts in various towns across Mallorca. None held a driving licence and they flaunted themselves on TikTok speeding in stolen cars at over 200 kilometres per hour on the island's roads. They shared videos boasting about their high-speed driving and the goods stolen during their offences.
The gang was dismantled by the Guardia Civil's Investigation Unit in Pont d’Inca at the end of February. A duty judge ordered the six to be held in custody. They face charges including membership of a criminal group, repeated theft with force, unauthorised use of vehicles and offences against road safety.
The Guardia Civil's report details how the suspects “put their lives, as well as those of other drivers and pedestrians, at serious risk” when driving above 200 kilometres per hour. Three cars were stolen: a Volkswagen Tiguan, an Audi A4 and a Volkswagen Polo. Nacer G. associated his mobile phone with the stolen Tiguan, and the Audi A4 was parked at the building on Manuel Azaña street where some of the group lived, just meters from the Guardia Civil headquarters.
Increasing number of thefts linked to stolen cars
Since December, investigators noticed a marked rise in thefts across Mallorca, all following a similar pattern. The group used stolen vehicles driven by members lacking driving licences to commit robberies at public establishments. The officers in charge of the case noted the impunity with which the group acted, with seven robberies reportedly carried out in a single night. In addition to stealing goods, the suspects caused damage to doors, windows and cash registers of businesses, with losses exceeding €10,000 for some.
Damage was also inflicted on the stolen cars themselves. The recovered Volkswagen Tiguan required over €10,000 in repairs. For these six young men, such criminal activity had become “their way of life”. They posted numerous videos of themselves driving the stolen cars on TikTok and other social networks. Authorities found “an overwhelming amount of graphic evidence” linking items seized from their homes with security footage from the robbed shops. This “only confirms the group's relentless and voracious criminal activity”.
Multiple previous offences and detailed timeline
All members had been arrested previously for various offences including thefts with force, shoplifting and violent robberies. Between 10.20pm on 27 January and 9.15am on 28 January, the group stole a Volkswagen Polo in Valldemossa, which they used on 30 January to steal €1,200 from the cash register of Capuccino café. That Polo had a licence plate stolen from another vehicle in Santa Margalida. On 12 January, Palma’s local police found the Polo badly parked in Son Gotleu and impounded it.
On 16 February, around 1am, the gang took an Audi A4 from Santanyí, later found by Guardia Civil in a public car park in Palma on 17 February. The Volkswagen Tiguan was taken on 3 February from Son Serra de Marina. Using this car, they committed several robberies: €300 at Bon Vi restaurant in Puerto Soller, €2,000 at Sa Foganya bar in Valldemossa, €300 at Groenk restaurant in Deya, €260 at Can Vadell bar, theft of an iPhone plus €1,400 from a bike rental in Arta, and stolen tobacco valued at €2,434 from a Campos tobacconist.
The Tiguan was recovered by Guardia Civil officers in Soller on 17 February. It was removed by the owner’s towing company due to a significant right-side impact making it undriveable.