As the African street vendors, which have been part of the Playa de Palma inventory for many years, is a big mystery to manyNow one of the men, mainly from Senegal, has spoken out, and with unexpected statements. He earn more at Ballermann than in Germany, said one of these “Helmuts” to the German website “Der Westen”. The Africans jokingly call themselves “Helmuts”.
The Senegalese man officially lives in Germany and says he works there as a tiler and painter. In the summer However, he takes unpaid leave every year to pursue his work as a trader.
Abdou, as the street vendor is called, came according to his own statement the first time at the age of 15 to Mallorca: “I came over here on a boat. In Africa everyone tells you that you can make a lot of money here in the summer.” “I usually work from 9am to midnight, but not every day“, said the 23-year-old.
African street vendors try to sell fake goods not only at Ballermann, but also at other places such as in front of the Cathedral of Palma or at Playa de Muro. Every now and then The National Police organizes actions and takes action against the Senegalese. Most recently, two tons of counterfeits were discovered in a warehouse on Wednesday.
A few weeks ago, a street vendor was fleeing from law enforcement officers City wall of Palma collapsed and was seriously injured. Most of these traders do not have a residence permit for Spain. They usually sell fake branded goods made in China, such as Gucci or Louis Vuitton handbags.