In May 2021, an Italian national was arrested on charges of causing aggravated bodily harm and carrying a firearm in a public place. However, before he could be detained, the suspect evaded the execution of the pre-trial detention order issued by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations at the Court of Naples. The Italian authorities subsequently issued a Europe-wide arrest warrant and have been seeking the suspect’s whereabouts ever since.

Meanwhile in Spain, authorities investigating a series of forged documents and identification papers uncovered an organised crime group. Members of the group were operating out of Spain, repeatedly used false documents to commit crimes and evade justice. 

Once it emerged that members of the organised crime group in Spain were nationals of Italy, the Italian authorities were alerted. They determined that the suspects had outstanding arrest warrants, initiating a complex process of police and judicial coordination in which Eurojust played a crucial role.

Cross-border joint investigation 

Following reports on the suspect’s whereabouts, the Italian authorities requested the issuance of European Arrest Warrants by the competent judicial authority and issued a European Investigation Order to facilitate searches of the suspects and associated premises. Eurojust, home to representatives of both authorities, supported the execution of these judicial measures and helped coordinate the requests within the framework of a broader ongoing Spanish investigation into the organised crime group.

As a result, on 7 May 2026, Spanish police officers arrested four people – three in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and one in Barcelona – allegedly linked to transnational organised crime groups of Italian origin.

The search of the suspects and their residences yielded the seizure of: 

• several firearms and a large quantity of ammunition 
• narcotics, including ecstasy, MDMA, hashish oil, cocaine and marijuana, as well as precision scales and packaging materials
• sums of cash, false documents and Italian licence plates, 
• and numerous electronic devices, including mobile phones, computers and storage devices.

The process of extraditing the suspects from Spain to Italy is currently underway.

The actions were carried out by the following authorities:

• Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Naples; Public Prosecutor’s Office of Torre Annunziata; Italian State Police (Operational Central Service SCO and Squadra Mobile of Naples). 
• Spain: Spanish Comisaría General de Información of the Policia Nacional; Punto Atenas at Comisaría General de Extranjería y Fronteras; Investigative Judge no. 4 of Granadilla de Abona; and Tenerife Prosecution Office