Hospitals were among the company's clients. | MDB

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The National Police in Palma have arrested five people suspected of running an organisation with the highest number of workers in an 'irregular' situation ever encountered in the Balearics.

The police investigation started in July. It was into a company providing care workers. During two years of this company's existence, more than 100 people were employed at any given time.

The head of this company, Te cuidamos Balear S.L., is a 29-year-old Spaniard, who had managed to gain the trust of doctors, nurses, health workers and management staff. The company issued invoices to clients for work carried out by the carers who were working illegally and without contracts. If clients were typically invoiced 1,800 euros, the workers would receive only half of this. The company had dealings with public hospitals, social services, the Cruz Roja (Red Cross) and care homes for the elderly.

The police have accused this individual and four Colombian nationals of the exploitation of workers in an irregular situation, of belonging to a criminal organisation, of promoting illegal immigration, of violating the rights of workers and of foreign citizens, and of falsifying documentation.

The main suspect had a total of 25 bank accounts in 13 different banks and used currency transfer services for the movement of money and payment of some of the employees. One bank account was for a registered office in an unspecified European capital; this was in order to avoid payment of taxes.

He is said to have a criminal record for the fraudulent renting out of flats, charging tenants but then not paying the owners of the properties.