Next February will be key for six people accused of leading a wave of robberies in commercial establishments thefts in commercial establishments in Ibiza, Formentera of Ibiza, Formentera and Mallorca. The Prosecutor’s Office has requested sentences ranging from five to 12 years in prison, totaling 56 and a half years for crimes of robbery with force, violence and document forgery. In Ibiza and Formentera, the gang would have stolen more than 760,000 euros, leaving behind a trail of insecurity and millionaire losses.
The blows that shook the Pitiusas
On April 12, 2015, the gang pulled off their first major heist at a jewelry store in Ibiza. With meticulous planning, they disabled the alarm sensors by applying adhesive tape and used oxycutting tools to open the safe. The loot: jewelry valued at 500,000 euros. This robbery would mark the beginning of a series of robberies throughout the Pitiusas.
In Formentera, they managed to steal 40,000 euros from a restaurant, while in Sant Antoni de Portmany they stole 133,500 euros from another establishment. Playa d’en Bossa was also the scene of their actions, where they stole 24,000 euros in cash, and a second jewelry store in Ibiza left them with a haul of 61,400 euros. In total, the thefts on the islands exceeded three quarters of a million euros.
An organization with privileged access
The key to this gang’s success seemed to lie in insider information. L The leaders were the sons of the owner of a firefighting systems company, which gave them access to the security plan of some premises. In other cases, a member of the group posed as a telephone technician to inspect potential targets.
In addition to the robberies in Ibiza and Formentera, the gang extended their operations to Mallorca, where they stole 116,600 euros from several cafes and stole a car from a dealership in Palma, a vehicle which they then used for some of the crimes and to which they caused damage valued at 10,000 euros.
A trial that seeks to close a dark chapter
After several years of investigation and a preliminary hearing held recently at the Provincial Court of Palma, the trial will determine the responsibility of the defendants. The prosecution has presented evidence including clothes found in the home of one of the defendants and a vehicle related to the facts.
