After escaping a police station in Prato, Tuscany, a criminal leader suspected of drug trafficking in Italy fled the country and travelled across Europe to evade the authorities. Only two months after his escape, authorities from Italy, Belgium, Spain and France, coordinated by Eurojust, tracked him down and were able to arrest him in Barcelona on 1 September.
The fugitive had resided in Italy for about ten years and built his criminal empire through drug trafficking. He was subject to preventive custody in February 2024 following an investigation into his criminal activity, including property crimes and the illegal possession of weapons and stolen goods. At the beginning of July 2025, the criminal leader was arrested in his apartment. While under arrest at the police station, he managed to free himself from his handcuffs and escape. With the help of his network of accomplices, he was able to leave Italy.
As soon as the fugitive had escaped, the Italian authorities started an investigation to track him down. While the authorities searched for traces of the criminal leader, he travelled across Europe to remain undetected. With help and resources from his accomplices, the fugitive first travelled to Belgium, then to Spain. He then returned to Belgium, went back to Spain and then travelled on to France before finally returning to Spain, where the authorities arrested him.
While the criminal leader was on the run, authorities were able to trace his route by intercepting his phone. The telephone records, together with his identification while boarding a flight from Belgium to Spain, made it possible to identify and locate the suspect. Through Eurojust, authorities from Italy, Belgium, France and Spain worked together. The Agency ensured that several European Investigation Orders were executed, which helped track the fugitive’s whereabouts.
On 1 September, the suspect’s location was identified through the analysis of cell towers. After a surveillance operation, the fugitive was arrested in Barcelona. He is now in custody in Spain, awaiting extradition to Italy.
The following authorities carried out the investigations:
- Italy: PPO Prato; State Police -Central Operational Service; State Police – Mobile Squad Prato
- Belgium: PPO Antwerp; Federal PPO; Investigating judges from Antwerp and Brussels; Federal judicial police Antwerp and Brussels
- France: PPO Perpignan
- Spain: Audiencia Nacional (Antidrug PPO, Central Investigative Courts numbers 1 and 4); Specialised Unit for Fugitives from the UDYCO Central of the Policía Nacional
Eurojust is an agency of the European Union