- Spanish police arrested a fugitive wanted by Italy after his fourth prison escape
- He reportedly escaped from an Italian maximum-security prison using knotted bedsheets
- A Spanish court ordered him detained pending extradition proceedings
Spanish authorities have arrested a fugitive wanted by Italy who earned a reputation as a “Master of Escapes” after breaking out of prison four times, including from a high-security facility in Italy.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Spain’s National Police said on Wednesday that the suspect was detained in Tarragona after investigators traced him to a neighbourhood where he was believed to have been staying.
EDITOR’S PICK
- Tinubu Directs Installation of 3,700 Telecom Towers Across Nigeria
- Alara of Ilara Praises Sanwo-Olu, LASU Staff’s Dedication To Progress
- Burna Boy, Tems Bag Nominations at 2026 MTV VMAs
The man was wanted under a European arrest warrant following his escape from an Italian prison in December. Police said he cut through window bars before using knotted bedsheets to lower himself from the facility.
His previous escapes were also carried out from prisons in Italy and Belgium. In one incident at a Belgian prison, he reportedly worked with other inmates to form a human pyramid that enabled him to climb over the prison walls.
Spanish police described the repeated escapes as an extraordinary sequence of events, noting that the circumstances appeared almost fictional despite having occurred in reality.
Authorities did not disclose the suspect’s identity or the offence for which he had previously been imprisoned. However, they described him as a dangerous individual.
Police said the suspect resisted arrest when officers moved in to detain him. Several people who were with him allegedly attempted to interfere with the operation, with one person reportedly injuring two police officers.
Investigators also found false identification documents on the fugitive, along with two €500 banknotes that were suspected to be counterfeit.
Following his arrest, a Spanish judge ordered that he remain in provisional custody without bail while proceedings for his extradition to Italy are considered.
The suspect is expected to remain in detention pending a decision on his transfer to Italian authorities, who had issued the European arrest warrant seeking his return.
FURTHER READING
