Palma authorities in Spain have arrested an Algerian citizen aged 56, who was suspected of robbing a German tourist family at Palma airport. The stolen items, including €2,000 in cash, luxury watches, and various items worth €37,950, were taken as the family picked up a rental car shortly after their arrival.
As reported by local media, the person in question used up to 21 fake pseudonyms in a calculated attempt to avoid legal consequences. The same has also faced detention in almost a hundred cases.
In addition, the man had previously been banned from entering the Schengen Area, a measure imposed by French authorities due to his alleged extensive criminal history, which he was well aware of.
The Airport Investigation Group has retrieved the looted assets and facilitated their return to the aggrieved parties. As a result, the Algerian citizen was subjected to legal proceedings, resulting in the issuance of a restraining order about Palma Airport.
During the last month, the authorities at Palma airport arrested a total of 12 persons. Among them, one was arrested for involvement in document forgery, six were taken into custody due to active arrest warrants as a result of legal or law enforcement matters, and five were detained for various other reasons.
At the same time, a similar case involving a young man who reported the theft of his high-end mobile phone was also included. Subsequent investigations by officers revealed that the incident never occurred, and the youngster was found to possess the allegedly stolen device.
Another incident included a Slovak woman who refused to pay the taxi driver who took her to the airport, claiming she did not have cash. This situation escalated into physical violence against the taxi driver, requiring the intervention of the National Police.
In March this year, the Spanish Civil Guard arrested ten people under Operation Goverla-Sur. The suspects were believed to be responsible for seven separate robberies targeting the homes of Ukrainian refugees across the regions of Alicante and Murcia.
According to a statement issued by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, an amount of €1,250,000 was confiscated as part of this operation.
Recently, there has been an increase in similar cases in Spain. In June 2023 National Police managed to dismantle a criminal network originating from Gran Canaria. As the Ministry explains, this organisation explicitly created and disseminated false documents.
