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Palma.—The National Police have arrested seven people in connection with a spate of armed robberies and yesterday were not ruling out further detentions over the coming days.

Operation “Pinchon” was launched in the early hours of Wednesday morning when special police units stormed a number of properties in Palma.
The gang had been under surveillance for the past weeks in connection with at least four armed robberies at a cocktail bar and three service stations in and around Palma.

The gang is so far being held responsible for the theft of at least 14'000 euros in cash but, just as the number of arrests could rise, so could the total amount of money stolen.

According to the National Police who gave a special operation debriefing yesterday, the gang always operated in the same manner wearing ski masks and armed with knives and a pistol.

The first robbery was carried out at the Palma cocktail bar where the waiter was threatened at knife and pistol point to hand over 650 euros. The second hold up was carried out at a petrol station a few days later when the gang got away with 4'900 euros. Just days later another petrol station was targeted and the attendant injured as he was closing and the final robbery to date netted the gang 8'500 euros and again, the service station employee was not only threatened at gun point but also assaulted.

The national Police reported yesterday that two of the suspects were found and arrested at their Palma homes along with a woman who tried to resist arrests.

At the property, special animal handlers were called in because two Pitbulls were used to try and fend off the police.
Two other suspects were found wandering the streets of the capital, one of which also tried, but failed, to resist arrest.
The sixth suspect was found armed with a knife trying to hide in his neighbour's bathroom while the seventh suspect was picked up yesterday morning hiding under a bed at a family member's home.