The Las Vegas sign in Son Banya. | Alejandro Sepúlveda

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The drugs clans in the Son Banya shanty town in Palma - Mallorca's 'drugs supermarket - are acting more brazenly than ever. There are eight of them, and together they are now promoting Son Banya as 'Las Vegas'.

One of the clans' bosses is El Vito, whose name comes from 'The Godfather'; the Corleones ran casinos in Las Vegas. This perhaps gives as a hint as to why there is now the large neon sign, Son Banya at night being illuminated with LED lighting in the sales area. The shanty town has been reorganised. One part is for residences, the other is for the business.

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As well as the lighting, the entrance has been given a makeover. There is now a concrete road some 90 metres long and 20 metres wide. It was laid a few nights ago. The clans had apparently contacted builders to see if they would be interested in the work. They all refused, except one. The road is illegal. It was paid for in cash. Money for the job was no problem. Of course not, there is always plenty of cash. There is even a roundabout with a boat on it.

Roundabout in the Palma Mallorca shanty town of Son Banya
The roundabout. Photo: Alejandro Sepulveda.

The sales area has been cleared of rubbish and charred cars. Where this has all gone is anyone's guess. There are sales booths for the eight clans. The stocks of drugs in Son Banya at any given time are said to be far lower than was once the case. The less there is on-site, the less there is for the police to confiscate when or if there is a raid.

Otherwise, the police harass the dealers as much as they can. But whatever the intervention, the clans just bounce back and they now have a welcome to Las Vegas.