A fugitive wanted for drug trafficking has been arrested by the National Police in Maspalomas (Gran Canaria) after being tracked down at a hotel in the popular tourist resort.
The 50-year-old French man was the subject of an International Arrest Warrant issued by authorities in France following his conviction for drug trafficking offences.
According to an official police press release, the man had previously been tried and sentenced but was declared a fugitive after disappearing and failing to comply with the judicial process.
Investigators from the Canary Islands Police Headquarters confirmed that the international warrant remained active and later established that the suspect was hiding out in Gran Canaria.
Officers eventually located him at a hotel in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, where a police operation was launched to identify and arrest him.
Following his detention, the case was referred to Spain’s Audiencia Nacional, the judicial body responsible for handling European arrest warrants.
The court later ordered the man to remain in custody while extradition procedures are completed ahead of his transfer back to France.
The arrest comes shortly after another high-profile international fugitive was captured in the Canary Islands, when one of the alleged leaders of the OmegaPro pyramid scheme — wanted by the FBI — was found staying in a hotel in Tenerife.
The Canary Islands continue to attract large numbers of international visitors each year, but police cooperation with European and international agencies has also led to several major arrests involving fugitives attempting to hide in tourist areas across the archipelago.
