El Pablo doesn't have just one home, he has ten. Through, let's call them negotiations, he acquired adjoining properties. On Wednesday last week, the Guardia Civil were astonished to discover what was hidden from view - a luxurious development replete with a five-by-twenty-metre pool, a lift, and an underground tunnel some thirty metres long. The tunnel has escape routes. The fort is also full of security devices.
The Guardia raided the small palace as part of Operation Checkmate. El Pablo wasn't home, because he was in what has been a periodic second residence over the decades - prison. The Judicial Police aren't the only authority now aware of the extent of this secret development. So also is Palma town hall and its urban planning department.
Proceedings have been started in filing charges against El Pablo and his clan for multiple planning violations. The mayor, Jaime Martínez, has issued instructions to put an end to this total planning impunity. Town hall technical staff are at present unable to gain access; the police have sealed off the palace. But as soon as a Palma court of instruction allows access, a thorough check will be made. The technicians do, however, already have some information - images captured by a drone.
One aspect that the technicians will have to examine is the potential impact of the underground tunnel. Has it seriously endangered buildings on C. Teix and adjoining streets?
Otherwise, a big question does of course arise. How was El Pablo able to get away with this impunity? The town hall will have to find answers. Was it simply negligence? Were officials afraid of this powerful drugs clan? Or were people paid to look the other way?
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Charles Dalrymple-ChumleyPoliticians, police etc being paid off.
A drug baron since the 1980s? Let's call it 1984 for the sake of the numbers. That's 40 years he's been in business before the police decided to act. How in the name of God is that possible? Something is very wrong here.