Isha Sesay
POLICE in Mallorca have arrested two men for a string of violent robberies on elderly women.
Policia Nacional say the two men, aged 22 and 23, are allegedly responsible for at least nine robberies which took place in September and October 2020 in Palma.
The thefts were particularly violent with all of the victims, aged between 74 and 85, being followed home by the two men.
They were then pounced upon as they opened the doors to their homes and brutally beaten before their possessions were stolen.
In all of the robberies, jewellery was stolen.
In one of the robberies, one of the men attempted to strangle an elderly woman with her own scarf.
Investigators say the men’s victims were left ‘extremely traumatised’ as a result of the robbery and also from having lost cherished possessions.
After reviewing CCTV footage, the men were identified by police.
Both have been charged with robbery with force and intimidation with violence.
It comes a day after police busted a criminal gang believed to be behind multiple robberies at luxury villas across Mallorca.
A total of seven people, all originally from South America, were arrested in the operation.
Investigators say the gang had connections with several construction companies on the island who renovated high-end homes.
Through these links, they were able to obtain a copy of the keys to enter the villas and were told where safes were hidden inside.
