The arrests were in the centre of the city in areas where tourist numbers are greatest. The first two detentions came when a National Police officer observed a woman distracting a tourist while her partner took a phone from the tourist's backpack.
By the Cathedral, there was a similar approach. A woman distracted a Bulgarian couple, while two others took a wallet. An officer saw what was happening and stopped one of three. The other two ran off. The police say they know who they are.
Later, a couple who were previously known to the police for coming to Palma in the summer with the intention of pickpocketing, were spotted on the steps next to the Almudaina Palace. They were observing tourists and waiting their moment. Officers themselves waited, and at the moment when a tourist was approached from behind and a phone was being taken from a backpack, they intervened.
The police say that the pickpockets are ones who spend the winter in the Canaries and then come to the Balearics in summer.
