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CRYPTO SCAM A FRAUDSTER has been arrested in Palma de Mallorca accused of the misappropriation of over €100 million through a crypto scam. The Spaniard, 60, is believed to be the leader of the organisation, which has allegedly scammed at least 3,000 people around the world. Police confirmed to the Olive Press that many of the victims are British, with others scattered around Northern Europe. “He has a great number of enterprises across Spain and is believed to be the inventor of the scam,” a Guardia Civil spokesman told the Olive Press. The investigation was launched after a complaint from an alleged victim in the Basque region who was fobbed off with excuses when he tried to cash in his investment.
Hooked
Cops eventually tracked down bank transfers to a company based in Palma, which then forwarded the money to countries outside the EU such as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia or Israel. Clients were hooked via adverts on a website named Pibexa.com, which has now been taken down. Guardia Civil told the Olive Press that the investigation remains open and that a number of international arrests are expected to take place. He added there were ‘quite a lot’ of British clients, certainly over a dozen, but would not be drawn on exact numbers.
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As the Feria season begins...
MALLORCA
Vol. 6 Issue 155
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voice in Spain May 5th - May 18th 2023
A 23-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested by the Guardia Civil for starting 10 fires in Porreres in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The blazes damaged 17 cars, some of which will have to be totally written off, as well as the front of the Social Services building. He blamed his behaviour on taking a cocktail of cocaine and marijuana. The Guardia said some of the vehicles were newly-registered models with one report suggesting that over €70,000 of damage was committed. The pyromaniac struck quickly in six streets as he travelled around on an electric scooter. It's believed the man - who lives in Porreres - used some kind of accelerant to set fire to the cars as well as a cigarette lighter. Firefighters had a busy morning dealing with the incidents while council teams repaired damage to street furniture. The arson spree started at around 3.20am with the final blaze coming just over two hours later. The 23-year-old man also stole items from some of the cars he set on fire.
See pages 6 and 12
Arson spree ended
SCORCHING SPAIN New record temperatures for April as crops fail and wildfires spread
FEARS are rising over what the summer has in store after an unseasonably early heatwave broke April records across Spain. As the month was confirmed as the hottest since 1961 when re-
The high temperatures have also brought the country’s annual Heat Warning campaign cords began, forecasters predict- forward by two weeks to begin ed a doomsday scenario of no on May 15, while on the Baleares rain, perhaps until September. it has already launched. An alarming 90-plus records were confirmed around Spain across the month for maximum temperatures. Residents in Cordoba had to endure record-breaking temperatures of 38.8C, beating Spain's highest April record of 38.6C registered in Elche back in 2011. On the Baleares, April was one of the hottest on record, with the weather station at Lluc reporting an April peak of 32.7C. The previous record for the month in Lluc was 28.1C in 2000. Monthly records were also set in Alicante when the mercury RAVAGED: So far 54,000 hectares have burnt this year in fires peaked in the village of Pego at 34.4C. In Valencia, city temperatures Present this coupon to get 5% OFF reached a July-like 32C in mid April, on your purchase of wine and liquors but didn’t break the 35C record set in Valid only until 20th May 2023. Coupon x1 per customer. 1945. Cannot be combined with other offers. Sevilla meanwhile logged 37C, surpassing the 35.4C registered in 1997, while Badajoz broke its previous record of 33.2C with a temperature of 36.1C. Even Valladolid, By Walter Finch
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further north, broke its previous record by exceeding 30C for the first time in April. Some parts of the south have experienced temperatures up to 15 degrees above average for the time of year. Weather agency Aemet has now warned of a ‘very high’ risk of fires and called for extreme caution due to the warm and dry air from North Africa. As many as 54,000 hectares of land have already been ravaged by fire this year. Last year, 306,000 hectares were burned, the majority during the summer months.
Alert
Spain is undergoing a severe drought, with 27% of the country's territory classified as in a drought ‘emergency’ or ‘alert’, and water reserves are at 50% of capacity nationally. The Spanish government has requested emergency funds from the European Union to support farmers in the country's agricultural heartlands. This drought has already driven up prices of Spanish olive oil to record levels as farmers report catastrophic crop failures, particularly of wheat and grain. UN figures now suggest that nearly 75% of Spain’s land is susceptible to desertification in the coming years due to climate change.
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