British citizen arrested in Ibiza for using stolen UK car in holiday heists

A Brit is behind bars in Ibiza for their alleged role in a UK criminal gang that stole a car and took it on holiday to commit further thefts on the popular island destination.

Spanish authorities said the theft of a van from an industrial estate on the island, July 14, led them to probe a group of Brits holed up in Sant Antoni de Portmany who had flown to Ibiza with the clear intent to commit crime.

The Balearic island has been hit by a wave of burglaries and violent robberies recently, which Guardia Civil officers have linked to the group.

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Their investigation took a turn on August 9, when local police found an SUV-style car with dodgy British number plates that had been used in the thefts. The vehicle had been torched and dumped, in an obvious attempt to destroy the evidence.

This motor was caught on CCTV speeding away from a luxury goods shop in Marina Botafoch with €100,000 worth of products, smashing through a road barrier during its getaway.

This car had actually been nicked in the UK before being used for crime in Ibiza, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin.

The van, which had been stolen on the island, was then used to transport the £86,000 of luxury goods nicked in the town, which is a 20-minute drive from Sant Antoni.

CCTV from inside the shop shows a hooded and masked individual rummaging through a back stockroom, loaded up with boxes that they then pass to another person.

However, the crooks didn't manage to hold onto their ill-gotten gains for long. Thanks to the sharp eyes of local coppers who spotted the stolen van and stepped in, the loot was recovered.

Spain's Guardia Civil has revealed one arrest following their operation, dubbed 'Lezo Ball', and declared they've taken down a criminal gang bent on stealing vehicles and burgling homes in Ibiza.

They haven't named the person in cuffs, but have confirmed that they're a Brit.

An investigation is underway to see if this alleged British gang are responsible for more crimes on the island.