British tourist robbed by ‘Zimmerframe bandit’ at Majorca Airport, loses £1700

A British woman was targeted by the elderly thief as she arrived at Majorca’s Palma airport, with the 70 year old ‘zimmerframe bandit’ making off with £1700 worth of her belongings

A British holidaymaker heading to the beloved Spanish getaway of Majorca was left £1700 lighter before even stepping out of the airport, after being targeted by an elderly crook wielding a walking frame.

The pensioner, believed to be in his 70s, allegedly preyed upon tourists touching down at Palma de Mallorca Airport to kick off their holidays, including the British woman whose possessions were nicked in June.

Over two million Brits flock to Majorca annually for the Balearic isle’s reliable sunshine, coastline, and golden beaches.

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During the heist, airport surveillance footage captured a silver-haired man in casual clothing and trainers, cleverly using his walking frame’s seat to conceal his pilfering before slipping away undetected thanks to his innocent demeanour.

After employing his mobility aid to both navigate the terminal and stash his stolen loot, the septuagenarian has earned infamy in local media circles and been christened the “zimmerframe bandit”, reports the Express.

Yet the suspected serial thief’s criminal rampage reached its conclusion a month later on August 18.

The Majorca Daily Bulletin reports this came after an investigation led by Palma de Mallorca’s private security squad, who spotted the man on CCTV recordings.

Following the identification of comparable thefts in the footage, airport officials collaborated with Spain’s national police force to hunt down the suspect, who was nabbed in Palma over the £1700 theft from a British tourist. Spanish officials have yet to reveal the full extent of the elderly culprit’s suspected criminal activities at the airport.

August has seen a flurry of arrests at Majorca’s primary travel gateway, with 13 individuals nabbed for offences spanning from document forgery to theft and assault. Authorities are also keeping a close eye on travellers bringing in more than €4400 into the popular holiday spot.