Police investigate whether Palma plane deviation organized on Facebook
The Spanish Police are investigating whether the diversion to the Palma de Mallorca airport of a Moroccan plane due to a false medical emergency and the subsequent escape of more than 20 men was organized in a Facebook group of young people from Morocco.
What appeared to be a diabetic coma turned out to be a hoax and was used by a group of more than 20 men to leave the aircraft, invade the runway and flee, entering the country illegally and forcing the airport to close for several hours.
According to the Spanish media, the police focus their investigations on a Facebook group called 'Brooklyn', which last July published a post describing an action very similar to what happened at the Palma airport.
In this group, a young man from Casablanca with the initials Y.S. who acts as the group administrator posted a post in July that reads:
"Guys, listen, most (of us) want to emigrate. Follow this plan: we need 40 volunteers. All the boys from Brooklyn to book a plane to Turkey that flies over Spain", reads this message, in which it is explained that a passenger will fake an illness and then everyone will flee.
"In the next few days we will organize it. Let those interested sign up," says the post, according to reports from the Spanish press.
'Not a group, a legend'
The intention was to undertake this operation to enter Spain illegally, taking advantage of the fact that Moroccans do not need a visa to travel to Turkey and that the flight that connects the two countries crosses Spanish air space.
After the plane landed on Friday at Palma's Son Sant Joan airport, Y. S. republished the plan on his Facebook profile, along with a triumphant statement:
"Brooklyn is not just any group, but a legend."
The Spanish police are investigating this Facebook group as part of the investigation of the case. One of the hypotheses with which it works is that the operation to divert the flight to Palma de Mallorca was planned in advance.
However, on Saturday the Delegate of the Government in the Balearic Islands, Aina Calvo, told the media that there was no evidence of an "orchestrated operation."