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Date Published: 25/11/2021
ARCHIVED - Three migrants who escaped from Mallorca airport arrested
Two other men have been detained for helping to hide the fugitive migrants
The National Police and Guardia Civil in Mallorca arrested five Moroccans on Wednesday morning, November 24, three of whom had escaped from the Air Arabia plane that was forced to make an emergency landing in Palma earlier this month when one of the passengers allegedly faked a diabetic coma.
Three of the detainees, aged 26, 33 and 35, have been arrested for crimes of sedition and violations against the Alien Law, while the other two, both aged 37, will be charged with facilitating illegal immigration by hiding the escapees from law enforcement.
Since the incident on November 5, when 25 Moroccans stormed security guards and fled from the airport, 16 escaped passengers have been arrested. Six other migrants are still at large although authorities believe that two of them travelled by boat to Barcelona.
In the first few hours after the escape, twelve passengers were captured, and four more were located last week hiding out in the Mallorcan town of Sa Pobla. All 16 remain in custody on the island.
Judge Rosa Mas has refused bail in all cases due to the seriousness of the charges, which were fraught with “chaos and aggressiveness” and resulted in the Son Sant Joan airport shutting down for four hours and affected around 60 other planes.
Officials believe this was a “moderately organised” operation given the fact that the plan was discussed at length on a dedicated Facebook group in the days and weeks leading up to the escape attempt.
Image: Policia Nacional
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