Suspect behind €1m armed robbery on trial

THE trial against a man accused of participating in the €1 million armed robbery of an Alicante businessman starts today (Thursday) and if convicted he faces fours year in prison. His alleged accomplices were tried more than a year ago, but the alleged kingpin of the hit had escaped to Argentina shortly after the robbery.

According to the prosecution, the man used part of the loot to purchase a house in Mar del Plata (Argentina), but was arrested and eventually extradited to Spain to face trial.

The robbery took place in December 2009 in the Alicante neighbourhood of San Gabriel when the robbers held up the owner of a shoe import business at gunpoint as he was about to deposit €947,000 in a bank.

When the other accomplices were convicted, only €300,000 was recovered.