A BRITISH tourist is facing fraud charges in Spain after racking up a €19,000 tab at a luxury hotel in Mallorca – and then leaving without paying.
The man, who had spent six weeks at the Santa Ponsa establishment, was arrested on Wednesday as he attempted to check into another hotel from the same chain in central La Palma – just one day after skipping out on his bill.
According to authorities, hotel staff called police after receiving an alert while processing his check-in.
Officers found the man sitting quietly in the hotel lobby when they arrived.
In Spain, leaving a hotel without paying is legally considered fraud and can carry serious consequences, particularly when large sums are involved.
Offences involving amounts over €400 are treated as criminal, and those found guilty can face prison sentences ranging from six months to several years in addition to fines.
In August, a Senegalese holidaymaker was arrested in Ibiza after racking up a €17,600 hotel bill and then legging it without paying a cent.
Police arrested the man just one day before his planned flight to Paris, discovering he was carrying forged French and Swiss passports.
READ MORE:
- Tourist in Spain’s Ibiza busted after skipping €17,600 hotel bill and trying to flee with fake ID
- Revealed: The terrifying Serb neo-Nazi whose narco empire took over Mallorca in just two years
- Mystery in Mallorca as naked body of British man, 64, is discovered in remote scrubland
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
