Italian mafia figure wanted for armed robberies and hostage-taking has been arrested in Spain

The Guardia Civil have arrested a dangerous Italian mafia figure in Tenerife.

In a statement released on Friday, April 1, the Guardia Civil said the 38-year-old Italian man had a long criminal record, specialising in armed robberies and hostage-taking.

Wanted by the Italian Carabineri police force, the fugitive was detained in the joint Operation Tricolore, in the town of Arona-Playa de las Americas, Tenerife.

It is understood that he fled Italy and arrived to the Canary Islands in mid-2021 using false documentation.

Placed under surveillance, the fugitive, named only with initials as M.V., changed address and attempted to evade capture by changing his daily routine.

“Despite these changes … the detainee continued with a disproportionate pace of life, living in a villa valued at more than €3m which was located in one of the most exclusive areas of Playa de las Américas, Tenerife,” a statement from the Guardia Civil said.

His arrest, on March 22, was carried out by specialist squads, including the Guardia Civil´s UCO Fugitives from Justice Team, due to his dangerous nature.

Operation Tricolore, a joint operation between the Guardia Civil and the Italian Carabinieri, has made major arrests of members of the N’drangheta mafia clan in Spain, with arrests in Barcelona last September, and in Malaga in September 2021, the Guardia Civil statement added.

The detainee has been brought before an Instruction Court and is being held in custody.

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