Murder of Brazilian surgeon at Marbella clinic; hunt for perpetrator
Dr Alexander Aslani, a renowned plastic surgeon on the Costa del Sol, was shot dead at his Marbella clinic on 7 October. The National Police are investigating multiple motives following the crime.
Plastic surgeon dies in shooting in Marbella
Dr Alexander Aslani, a 57-year-old plastic surgeon born in Germany, was shot dead at his clinic located in the Real Panorama residential development in Marbella on Wednesday 7 October, shortly before 18:00 hours. A hooded gunman, dressed entirely in black, entered the surgery where Aslani was attending to a patient and fired several shots at close range, striking him in the head. According to The Olive Press, paramedics arrived quickly but were unable to stabilise him.
The shooter escaped on a large-capacity motorcycle that was parked outside the clinic. A second individual was reported to have fled in a black Audi towards the Bello Horizonte area. No arrests had been made by Thursday morning.
The body was transferred at 21:00 hours to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Málaga for autopsy. The National Police, through its homicide unit in Marbella, is leading the investigation in coordination with the Local Police and the Guardia Civil.
Profiles under investigation
Police sources told El País that "many possibilities" are being considered, including that the hitman acted on behalf of one of the professional's clients. Investigators have ruled out "for now" the initial hypothesis of a settling of scores linked to organised crime, a common motive for brutal murders in Marbella.
Among the lines of investigation are a possible reprisal over a cosmetic procedure that went wrong, suspicions about his financial ties with wealthy international clientele, and personal vendettas. The media outlet 101TV has speculated that it could be retaliation for a failed surgical procedure.
Professional career and reputation
Aslani had been practising on the Costa del Sol for almost 20 years and was a specialist in Brazilian buttock lifts. According to his own website, he had over 25 years of experience, had carried out more than 15,000 operations on patients from over 40 countries, and had 200,000 followers on Instagram. He headed the plastic surgery departments at Quirón hospitals in Málaga and Marbella between 2008 and 2018, and also worked in London and Manchester.
At his clinic, Cirumed Clinic, he operated on several patients daily. According to information from people close to him, his clientele was mostly wealthy and international; The Olive Press noted that 70 per cent came from the United Kingdom.
In July 2021, the High Court in London ordered a British influencer to pay Aslani £40,000 for defamation. The claimant had posted online that he had "ruined" her body after three buttock lifts carried out between 2018 and 2020, alleging she was "disfigured". Judge Saini ruled that the allegations were false and that the third procedure had been carried out free of charge "as a gesture of goodwill".
Security context in Marbella
The Ministry of the Interior has extended the Costa del Sol Plan, launched in 2024 following a series of shootings in Marbella, which to date has generated 1,600 arrests. Aslani's murder comes amid efforts to combat armed violence in the area.
Reactions and condolences
The Medical Association of Málaga, the professional association for doctors in the province, condemned the crime "in the strongest terms". In a statement, it categorically and firmly rejected "any act of violence" and expressed "full confidence" in the police. Colleagues from the medical field and friends expressed their support; an acquaintance described him to SUR as "a wonderful person", whilst a former colleague told El Español he was "a leading figure" in his specialty and was "completely shocked" by the incident.
Source: The Olive Press