Eight individuals faced a chief judge in a case centered on alleged fraud involving false food poisoning claims by British tourists in Mallorca. The president of the Court of Investigation Number 2 in Palma indicated that the suspects formed an organized network to recruit British vacationers on the island and persuade them to file fraudulent complaints aimed at securing compensation from hotels and tour operators. The judge highlighted that the total damage from the scheme surpassed 200,000 euros and classified the acts as both fraud and criminal organization. The ruling acknowledges the archiving of proceedings against four defendants while keeping the leaders of the conspiracy at trial, with those ringleaders seeking their dismissal from the case.
The judge noted that eight defendants were investigated in 2016 and 2017. The investigation involved collecting data from British tourists staying on an all inclusive basis at Majorcan hotels, using forms prepared by the defendants to claim sickness during their stay as a basis for compensation in the United Kingdom. The magistrate identified two brothers as the heads of the operation, who established a company to route the data to law firms in the UK with whom they had close ties. A broader network then mobilized personnel to visit hotels on the island to gather guests’ information about meals and alleged poisoning incidents, and to document the steps needed for claims once those guests returned home.
The individuals hired by the brothers received a percentage of the eventual claims. The judge described the compensation payments obtained in the UK during that period as substantial and noted the resulting harm to local tour operators and hotels. The total impact was reported to exceed 200,000 euros, underscoring the scale of the scheme. This evidence contributed to the finding of qualified fraud and criminal organization charges against a majority of the defendants, while the car in question and other indications supported the ongoing criminal proceedings. The court ordered that the case continue and invited the parties to prepare and submit indictments for an oral trial, moving the process toward a formal adjudication stage. [Source: Court records, Palma]