Watch as fugitive arrested on Costa del Sol with alleged links to man involved in deadly jihadist attack in Belgium

National Police on the Costa del Sol have arrested a man in Benahavís in a major operation for his alleged links to the perpetrator of the jihadist attack committed in Belgium on 16 October, in which a Tunisian national murdered two Swedish citizens.

According to the force, the arrested man had an International Arrest Warrant against his name issued by the Belgian authorities for drug trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation. At the time of his arrest he was carrying false documents.

On the basis of information provided by the Belgian police, an investigation was launched into the possible relationship between the perpetrator of the attacks and an individual who had settled in Spain. The investigations led to the conclusion that both were linked to criminal activities associated with organised crime.

Eventually, the investigation located the man living in Benahavís, where he had based himself in order to escape justice using false documentation. This led to a large police deployment in the middle of the night in which the suspect was arrested in the house where he was living.

Officers also searched the property, where they found documents, electronic devices and a significant amount of money. For the time being, police continue to analyse the seized items in order to clarify the degree of connection between the two individuals.

A court has ordered the immediate imprisonment of the arrested fugitive.