Palma Municipal Utilities Employee Arrested for Material Theft

In Palma, a municipal employee was arrested: He allegedly stole bollards, masts, and signs from the warehouses and sold them for scrap.

Suspicion Confirmed: Arrest After Months of Investigations

In Palma, the police arrested an employee of the municipal operating company after material from the municipal warehouses had repeatedly disappeared in recent months. The case had been under investigation since September — the trail of the missing items apparently goes back to June.

What Exactly Is Missing?

Among the missing items were, according to investigators, numerous stainless steel bollards, aluminum masts, and traffic signs. Overall, the city estimates the damage at more than €15,000. Notably: 75 bollards were registered, some damaged and destined for recycling.

Only Internal Staff Had Access

Investigators quickly found that the storage halls were only accessible to employees. That made the investigation tricky, but also targeted: step by step the officers worked their way toward potential suspects — until they identified an employee who is now in custody.

According to the police, the accused is said to have sold the metals to various scrap dealers and metal buyers. Investigators are currently checking which companies received the goods and whether there is any suspicion of fencing there.

Impact on the City

For residents and employees, the theft means extra work: bollards and signs must be replaced, repair appointments rescheduled. In narrow streets of Palma, the absence of barriers can cause confusion — especially in the tight alleys around La Llonja and Santa Catalina, where such bollards are often in place.

The responsible department has announced that storage and distribution protocols will be tightened and access better controlled. Whether this is an isolated offender or whether further employees are involved will be revealed by the ongoing investigation.

The area around the arrestee is being further examined, informally according to investigators. Locations include municipal depots and industrial areas, such as Son Castelló — where questioning and crime-scene investigations are currently underway.

The authorities are now pursuing full clarification: For the affected areas of the city administration this means not only material losses but also questions about internal controls and trust.