Money-Laundering Raid in Mallorca: Three More Arrested — Total Reaches 52

Investigations continue: Three new arrests in Mallorca

On Tuesday evening, police and the Guardia Civil reported further operations at several locations in Palma. Three more people were arrested in a large investigation, the authorities said. This brings the number of arrests since early August to 52.

No calm on the streets, but routine during the operation

At around 6:00 a.m. in some streets around Son Gotleu and La Soledat it looked like this: flashing lights, locked houses, officers carrying boxes of documents and data carriers out of apartments. Neighbors say it felt "as always" — the operations have become a serious normality in recent weeks. According to investigators, the three now arrested are considered minor actors who were mainly involved in distribution in various districts.

The probe still focuses on a network that is said to include a former gang leader. Several key figures are already in pretrial detention on suspicion of money laundering, drug trafficking and aiding offenses. Among the accused are, according to investigators, a lawyer and a former senior police officer.

What investigators have found so far

The list of seized items is long: around €1.4 million in cash, approximately 11 kilograms of cocaine, a marijuana cultivation with more than 1,000 plants, several weapons (including four live firearms with silencers), eight vehicles, two motorcycles, a jet ski as well as luxury watches and artworks. A larger incident in July, when 675 kilograms of cocaine were intercepted, significantly accelerated the investigations.

Authorities are operating under a court-ordered news embargo. Details about the arrested individuals or the evidence are therefore usually communicated only very briefly. That is frustrating for curious residents, but customary in such complex investigations.

What may happen next

According to the police, further arrests cannot be ruled out, although they now assume that the main ringleaders have been caught. Whether that is true will only become clear in the coming weeks as proceedings and custody reviews progress.

For many residents of Palma, the news is a sobering reminder: even if the promenade looks calm in the afternoon and the cafes are open again, investigations into organized structures are still taking place next door. Those who think the matter is settled are mistaken — the files are not closed yet.

I was briefly at the Plaça in the evening and heard people talking: half shocked, half relieved — that's the feeling on the island right now. The judiciary continues to work, and the calm on the streets remains fragile.