German cosmetic surgery pioneer Alexander Aslani shot dead at his Marbella clinic

The National Police are now trying to piece together the details of a calculated execution that an alleged hitman carried out at Aslani's clinic, Cirumed, in the Panorama residential development.

Having trained at prestigious international centres such as Highgate Hospital in London, King Edward Hospital in Durban (South Africa) and Paracelsus Medical Private University in Austria, Aslani had established his career in Spain by heading up the plastic surgery departments at the Quirón hospital in Malaga and the Quirón Marbella hospital between 2008 and 2018.

In 2007, he founded Cirumed Clinic, designed to be the largest centre specialising in body contouring in the Costa del Sol. Located on the outskirts of Marbella, next to the A-7 motorway, the centre has two operating theatres and eight private suites.

Within the medical sector, Aslani was a global pioneer in gluteal contouring and a hybrid technique combining fat transfer with the insertion of implants. He was also a contributing member of an international committee on safety in gluteal fat grafting and belonged to prestigious organisations such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the Asociación Española de Cirugía Estética Plástica and the Deutsche Gesellschaft der Plastischen, Rekonstruktiven und Ästhetischen Chirurgen.

Those who knew him highlight his almost total dedication to his profession. "He was a wonderful person, a very successful man who wasn't involved in any shady dealings," one of his friends told Sur near the medical centre shortly after the incident. "That man was just stuck in there working until 11pm," he added.

According to sources, Aslani operated on several patients every day. On the very day of his death, he had carried out a number of surgical procedures. His client base, comprising wealthy individuals from various parts of the world, spanned a wide range. Those close to him suspect that some of them may have been linked to illicit business activities.

Right next to the surgical clinic is Samira Beauty, a centre specialising in beauty treatments run by the victim's wife. The couple had two daughters, one of whom is a minor, and they, along with the rest of the family and staff, are devastated by what has happened.

The crime took place shortly before 6pm on Wednesday, when several patients were in the clinic. An individual dressed in black, wearing a hood and a turtleneck, allegedly burst straight into the consultation room where the doctor was treating a patient.

Without saying a word, the assailant fired several shots at point-blank range, the last of which struck him in the jugular vein.

The gunman fled on a dark-coloured, high-powered Yamaha Maxi scooter-type motorbike that he had parked directly opposite, aided by a second individual driving a black Audi car, who fled in the direction of the Bello Horizonte residential area.

The police were unable to intercept the assailants. Paramedics could only confirm the doctor's death. Aslani's body was transferred to the institute of forensic medicine shortly after 9pm.

The investigation remains open.

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