Palma pair face seven alleged robbery charges
Two men are back in prison after police linked them to seven alleged violent robberies at a leisure venue in Palma, Mallorca. The pair were first arrested on Saturday after gold chains were reportedly taken during an event in the Indioteria neighbourhood. Police say more than a dozen further reports of stolen chains were made that day.
National Police officers initially arrested the men over three alleged gold-chain robberies. A court ordered them held on remand.
Four more cases added
Investigators from the West District police station gathered the reports and took statements from those affected and witnesses. They say their inquiries established four more alleged violent robberies involving the same two men.
The men were taken out of prison to be arrested again over the new allegations, then returned to custody after the formalities were completed. The investigation remains open and police have not ruled out further arrests.
Off-duty officer saw chain taken
Police had deployed at the venue on Saturday afternoon because of the large number of people attending, with officers watching for drug dealing, violent robbery and theft. They found two men struggling on the ground in a crowded area; one identified himself as an off-duty National Police officer attending the event.
The officer said he had seen a man take a gold chain from a young man, then pass it to another man accompanied by a woman. Police said the woman put the jewellery beneath the hat she was wearing.
Another young man told officers he felt a sharp tug at the gold chain around his neck and saw a man moving away with it amid the crowd. One victim also showed officers footage that police said allowed both alleged offenders to be identified.
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Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com