Passport for 50.000 pesetas

Not only has a British resident had her handbag snatched twice in the past two months in the car park of a Palma Nova supermarket, from which her husband has banned her from shopping any more, but the victim, who told the Bulletin she does not want her identity revealed, also said yesterday that her husband has discovered that passports are being offered on the black market for 50'000 pesetas. The victim's husband approached two suspicious-looking men in the car park last Saturday, the day after the bag snatch, struck up a conversation and claimed he needed a passport to get off the island. Half an hour later he was told that a six year passport would cost 50'000 pesetas or one without a photograph would cost 30'000, but he would have to go to Arenal to collect it. What has also been discovered is that the bag snatchers appear to using a set of chemicals to wipe the pin number of credit cards. When the victim's bag was recovered a cotton bud was found in the bag with traces of chemicals on each end and while she was reporting her stolen cards to the bank, the computer registered that at that very same moment, the thieves were withdrawing money from a cash point with her stolen cards - apparently having erased the pin number. “I'm very distressed, it's time for something to be done,” she said.