The National Police has dismantled in Palma a network accused of laundering about 10 million euros from an international cryptocurrency macro-scam, in an operation in which five people have been arrested and assets in Spain and Sweden valued at about 15 million have been seized. The investigation, initiated more than two years ago by the Capital Laundering Group in the Balearic Islands, within the framework of the so-called 'Acantilado' operation, has had the collaboration of the FBI, the Swedish and German police, which has made it possible to trace the money through countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Georgia or Sweden.

The National Police has arrested a drug dealer in Maó for the death of a woman to whom he sold drugs. As reported by the force, the events occurred on April 9, when several patrols responded to a call from 091, indicating that a dead woman had been found in a dwelling in the municipality and that she might have suffered an adverse reaction to a narcotic substance.

The National Police have arrested eight people in Palma accused of being part of a scheme dedicated to illegally registering foreign citizens. The investigation has identified at least 70 people who allegedly benefited from this fraudulent system.

The National Police has carried out an inspection at a hotel under construction, where it identified 64 workers who were in an irregular situation in Spain, for which reason they were summoned to police facilities to initiate the relevant opening proceedings.

The National Police arrested the suspected leader of a jihadist cell linked to the Islamic State (Daesh) in Palma on Wednesday, in a joint operation with Moroccan authorities that also led to the arrest of two other people in Tangier. According to the investigation, the group financed terrorism and was planning a possible attack in Spain, which the arrested leader intended to be "a major operation." The arrest took place at a residence located at number 3 Gabriel Maura Street in the Balearic capital. The operation, directed by the National Court, involved the General Information Commissariat and the Provincial Information Brigade, in coordination with Moroccan authorities, in a simultaneous action that forms part of Operation Seula.

The new Deputy Director of Operations (DAO) of the National Police, Chief Commissioner José Luis Santafé – until now the Chief Superintendent of Police in the Balearic Islands – made it clear during his swearing-in ceremony that the force investigates "to the fullest extent" any abuse, misconduct, or irregularity that may occur within its ranks. He reaffirmed his commitment to protecting victims of sexual assault or harassment, but warned that "generalizing" and suspecting the entire institution and its leadership is "extremely dangerous." In the presence of the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska; the Deputy Secretary of State, Aina Calvo; the Director General of the Police, Francisco Pardo; the entire police leadership; and the Director of the National Intelligence Center (CNI), Esperanza Casteleiro, as well as representatives of the armed forces and police unions, the Chief Commissioner emphasized that the Police is an "extraordinary, loyal, modern institution at the service of Spain."

The Ministry of the Interior has appointed Chief Commissioner José Santafé Arnedo as the new Deputy Director of Operations (DAO) of the National Police, the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the force. This change comes after the crisis triggered by the lawsuit alleging sexual assault, which led to the resignation of the previous head, José Ángel González, on February 17th. Santafé Arnedo previously served as the Chief Superintendent of the National Police in the Balearic Islands, a position he held since July 2022. With this appointment, the Ministry of the Interior places a veteran officer with extensive experience in the Police and recent service in the Balearic Islands at the head of the force's operational structure. The new Deputy Director of Operations joined the force in 1990 and has held various positions within the police organization throughout his career. In recent years, he had been the highest-ranking National Police officer in the archipelago. Following the resignation of José Ángel González, the Deputy Directorate of Operations was temporarily headed by Chief Commissioner Gemma Barroso, Deputy Director General of Human Resources and Training for the National Police. Barroso was also the one who was informed of the complaint filed by a female inspector and who subsequently contacted the complainant to activate police protection measures. With the appointment of Santafé Arnedo, the Ministry of the Interior has provisionally resolved the crisis at the top of the National Police's operational leadership.

The National Police have arrested five people in Palma accused of labor exploitation of foreign workers in barbershops and restaurants in the city. The employees were subjected to workdays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday, without days off or vacations. The operation began following an anonymous tip to the email address against human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and labor exploitation, alerting authorities to possible irregularities in businesses run by those now arrested. Based on this information, a joint inspection was carried out with the Labor Inspectorate. During the operation, several foreign workers were identified in barbershops and restaurants in the Balearic capital who lacked authorization to work and were in an irregular immigration status. Investigators confirmed prolonged working hours, the absence of employment contracts, and improper wage deductions that created a situation of economic dependency. According to the police, the employees also suffered social isolation, as they were not allowed to speak to customers, and lived in indecent housing conditions in spaces adjacent to the premises. For this reason, the housing service of the Consell de Mallorca and the urban planning enforcement department of the Palma City Council have initiated the corresponding administrative sanctions. This police operation is part of the actions carried out by the National Police against labor exploitation and the violation of the rights of foreign workers. The investigation remains open and further actions are not ruled out. The Police have reminded the public that the telephone number 900 10 50 90 is free and confidential for reporting or requesting help in cases of human trafficking, sexual or labor exploitation, and that the email address trata@policia.es is also available to provide information.

A man died this Thursday in Palma from cardiac arrest after being subdued with a Taser by National Police officers who had responded to his home after being alerted that he was vandalizing the house, from which his three children had fled. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers, alerted by neighbors, found the man behaving very aggressively and, after he refused to comply with their instructions and continued his violent behavior, they used the Taser to subdue him. The incident occurred around 4:15 a.m., according to the police, who explained that the deceased was a large man who went into cardiac arrest after being discharged with the Taser. The officers immediately began resuscitation efforts and requested an ambulance. Paramedics continued resuscitation efforts, but he died before being transported to a hospital. Sources familiar with the investigation, which is being handled by the Homicide Unit of the Balearic Islands Police Headquarters, indicated that the man's three young children were in the house and were taken in by a neighbor before the police intervention due to his agitated and violent state. The officers applied the protocol established for cases in which the direct restraint of an aggressive person is dangerous, which includes the use of a stun gun, the same sources indicated. There are indications in the house that point to possible drug use by the man, although the autopsy will determine the specific circumstances that led to his death. The house was wrecked.

Images from the National Police's investigation revealed that the house was wrecked and there was a lot of blood. This was explained to Europa Press by sources close to the investigation, which is now awaiting the man's autopsy, expected to be performed this Friday.

]]>

A man accused two National Police officers on Monday of beating him while they were arresting him for an alleged incident of gender-based violence. The First Section of the Provincial Court is trying both officers and the victim, who is also accused of assaulting the officers during an incident that occurred on April 14, 2021, in Palma. The hearing began with the testimony of the victim's alleged partner, who is also accused of assault and causing damage to the officers. The man admitted that he had an argument with his partner that night, although he denied that she assaulted or threatened him. At that point, they went their separate ways, although she called emergency services (112), which the man learned later. Shortly afterward, he encountered a group of National Police officers. "I thought it was a raid or that they were going to fine me for not wearing a mask, but one of them, very agitated, told me, 'I'll teach you to respect women,' and started hitting me with his baton," he explained. He claimed he could only cover himself to protect himself from the blows. "They wouldn't tell me anything. I told them I'd let them arrest me, but to stop hitting me," he stated. The prosecution is requesting that both officers be sentenced to 11 months in prison for assault and that the third defendant receive a sentence of three years and two months for assault, property damage, and resisting arrest. According to the prosecutor's indictment, the events occurred on the night of March 14, 2021, when several police patrols were dispatched to a street in Palma after receiving a report of a possible case of gender-based violence.

]]>

The Civil Guard, Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, and the National Police have dismantled a criminal organization based in Ibiza dedicated to large-scale drug trafficking, as part of Operations Cavalieri, Norte, and Coktel. The investigation resulted in 26 arrests and the seizure of 1,558 kilos of cocaine and almost 11 tons of hashish. According to authorities, the network operated using maritime routes between South America, the Iberian Peninsula, and the island of Ibiza, combining multiple entry points for the drugs: trucks traveling by ferry, containers in the port of Valencia, and speedboats arriving directly in Ibiza. The investigation, which began in 2023 with the seizure of 8.3 tons of hashish on a beach in the north of the island, has demonstrated that the organization had a hierarchical and compartmentalized structure, capable of providing logistical support to national and international criminal groups. One of those arrested specialized in the distribution and management of encrypted messaging systems, a key tool for coordinating the organization. The most significant operations of 2025 included the seizure of 2,400 kilos of hashish in the port of Ibiza and over 1,000 kilos of cocaine in Valencia and Ibiza, as well as several arrests in Mallorca and Ibiza as part of operations coordinated with mainland authorities. The operation culminated on December 16 with nine raids and 11 arrests in various municipalities of Ibiza. Currently, 12 people remain at large, and further arrests are expected. The investigation involved the collaboration of various specialized units from Customs Surveillance, the Civil Guard, and the National Police, with support from intervention and security groups, under the supervision of the Court of Instruction Number 3 of Ibiza and the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office delegated to the island. According to the Civil Guard, this operation demonstrates the authorities' ability to dismantle complex criminal structures operating in connection with international organizations. It also highlights the importance of coordination between police forces to combat large-scale drug trafficking in the Balearic Islands.

]]>

The National Police are investigating a teacher in Palma for five alleged cases of harassment of underage students, after an initial complaint filed in late December opened an investigation that has led to the identification of five more potential victims of the same teacher. The investigation began following a complaint from a young woman who reported receiving persistent and repeated calls every day from a blocked number, many of them late at night. According to her account, the calls caused her anxiety and disrupted her daily life. Days later, the victim returned to the police to report that the phone harassment continued. In these subsequent calls, the alleged perpetrator asked if they would meet and told her he missed her. At the beginning of the year, the young woman confirmed that the calls were still coming, but this time from a visible phone number.

]]>

The National Police searched early Wednesday morningformer Palma prisonPolice have arrested one person and identified 160 others, as confirmed to ARA Baleares by security sources. They added that the arrested individual committed a property crime. The police operation was described as "a typical search, the kind carried out to determine the population density of the facility. Individuals are identified to verify they have no outstanding warrants or criminal records," explained sources from the National Police. However, this is not the first time security officers have visited the former Palma prison to identify its residents. But this time, unlike previous operations, the police did not issue any eviction notices, according to some of the prison's inhabitants who spoke to this newspaper.

]]>

The National Police have freed 15 women of Chinese origin in Palma, victims of sexual exploitation who were recruited through social media advertisements by a criminal organization from that Asian country. As part of the operation, 14 people have been arrested—12 in the Balearic Islands and two in Barcelona—seven of whom have been remanded in custody by court order. According to a statement released by the Police this Saturday, those arrested include 13 Chinese nationals and one Spanish citizen. The investigation has dismantled a network that forced the victims to be available 24 hours a day, under constant surveillance, and to provide sexual services both in apartments and at clients' homes. The women had no freedom of movement and, according to the investigation, were even "bought and sold" between different exploitative organizations to be moved from one location to another. In some cases, they were forced to have sex without condoms, so the network charged clients a higher price.

]]>

The 27-year-old woman who died in Palma in early February of last year did not die from a drug overdose, as initially suspected, but was allegedly asphyxiated by her partner, according to sources close to the investigation. Although initial indications pointed to a possible death by drug abuse, the autopsy and subsequent forensic tests have determined that the young woman died of asphyxiation, which has completely redirected the police investigation. Following these new findings, the police arrested the victim's partner on Monday as the suspected perpetrator of homicide. He is a 42-year-old Spanish national who remains in police custody awaiting a court appearance. According to the same sources, he is not expected to appear before the duty judge on Wednesday, so he could be brought before the judge on Thursday. The Ministry of Equality confirmed on Tuesday that the case has been officially classified as a gender-based violence crime. This is the 47th murder of a woman in Spain in 2025 and the second to occur in Mallorca last year. Both the victim and the alleged perpetrator were registered in the VioGén monitoring system, although the reports of gender-based violence were related to previous relationships they had with other people. Following the confirmation of the gender-based crime, the Balearic Government has called for a minute of silence at noon this Wednesday in front of the Presidency headquarters, at the Consulate of the Sea in Palma, as a show of institutional rejection and support for the victims of gender-based violence.

]]>

A man died this Monday at Son Espases University Hospital after spending more than a year in a coma, following an attack by two minors in November 2024 during an attempted robbery. The victim's family confirmed his death on the website where they had been raising funds for his medical care. The German man ultimately succumbed to his injuries. On December 27, 2024, National Police officers arrested two minors as the alleged perpetrators of a violent robbery and attempted murder, after they beat the man to steal his cell phone. The National Police reported that the incident occurred on November 30 of that year at approximately 3:00 a.m., when a call was received at the 091 emergency line reporting an unconscious and bleeding man in the street in the La Soledad neighborhood. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

]]>

A man has been arrested as the suspected perpetrator of several crimes, including sexual assault, battery, and unlawful detention, after allegedly raping and assaulting a woman in Palma. The events occurred on December 16, according to the National Police. Latest NewsThe victim explained that she met the alleged assailant while walking down the street, and he offered to let her use his mobile phone. The woman agreed to accompany him to his home, but there, according to the complaint, she was held against her will, sexually assaulted, and beaten in the face and body while the man threatened her with a knife. The woman managed to escape and ask for help at a nearby bar, where the National Police began their investigation to identify the alleged perpetrator. Two weeks later, the 29-year-old Spanish national was located in the Son Gotleu neighborhood. During the arrest, a struggle ensued when he tried to pull out a knife, according to police sources. The arrested man faces charges of sexual assault, assault, unlawful detention, identity theft, and resisting arrest, and has been remanded in custody pending trial.

]]>

The National Police are investigating the death of a man in his 50s who was found this Thursday morning, New Year's Eve, in a park on Collioure Street in Palma.

]]>

Last September, it was reported that a hacker had allegedly gained access to the Manacor City Council's computer system and discovered a document containing 160 lawsuits filed against the Council. The leaked documents included the plaintiffs' personal information, as well as details of the legal proceedings. After learning of the incident, Manacor City Council officials filed a complaint regarding the alleged unauthorized access to their computer system and the publication of confidential data. The Local Judicial Police Brigade then began investigating the matter. In recent weeks, the National Police were able to confirm that no hacker had attacked the City Council's computer system. The officers analyzed all the computer access logs for the specific documents containing the published data and ruled out external access via electronic means, thus focusing the investigation on the City Council itself.

]]>

The National Police have arrested three men and a woman in Palma as alleged perpetrators of an attack against authority and public disorder during the demonstration on October 5th in Palma in solidarity with the Israeli hijacking of the flotilla and the people on board as it headed to Gaza.

]]>