A court in Palma has issued a restraining order of 500 metres from the cathedral area for two women arrested for stealing money from tourists while trying to sell them rosemary. The alleged perpetrators, Spanish women aged 43 and 49, are known for similar offences by the National Police who arrested them last Tuesday, they have about 20 police records and one of them had a previous restraining order, the Balearic Police Headquarters detailed in a statement on Monday.
The events took place at the end of March and the beginning of April. Both victims were walking in the area around the cathedral when the two women approached them offering them a sprig of rosemary with the intention of distracting them so they could steal money from their wallets, more than 500 euros each.
Following the complaints, the investigation group at the Central District police station began an investigation to identify and locate the alleged perpetrators, who were carrying a sprig of rosemary in their hands at the time of their arrest.
Last January, the two women were already arrested for similar offences, when they stole around 1,000 euros, using the same modus operandi, from another victim who was able to recover part of the money when he went to buy rosemary from them and realised that he had nothing in his wallet.
After the detainees were brought before the court, accused of various thefts, they were given a new restraining order to stay away from the cathedral area. The technique used is known as the ‘carnation method’, which had been developed in Palma years ago by women known as ‘claveleras’. At first they carried carnations, but later they switched to leaves or branches of any plant, which they use to ask tourists for coins.
The women took advantage of the tourists’ distraction as they reached for their wallets and their skill at stealing from them and then leaving the scene quickly. But sometimes, when the victims realised what was happening and tried to prevent the theft, a struggle and a degree of violence would ensue in order to escape with the stoeln money and it would become robbery with violence.
Several investigations by the National Police managed to demonstrate the existence of criminal groups dedicated to this type of crime and several police operations were carried out which resulted in numerous arrests and restraining orders from the centre of Palma for years and managed to stop the robberies.
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