Germany's most-wanted drug smuggler arrested in Málaga
Spanish police have arrested an alleged drug boss in Málaga who had been sought for years under a European arrest warrant.
Arrest in Málaga: BKA-sought suspect from Pakistan detained
Spanish police have apprehended Germany's most-wanted drug smuggler in Málaga, according to their own statements. The man had been sought under a European arrest warrant for drug trafficking and organised crime – as Google News DE – Crime (de) reported, citing a police statement.
The arrest took place on 24 August in collaboration with officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Police made no official statement regarding the identity of the suspect. Spanish media outlets, including the television broadcaster Telecinco, reported without citing sources that the individual was a 38-year-old Pakistani national. Which public prosecutor's office in Germany was responsible remained unclear.
The investigation had begun in 2025 after information was received suggesting that the fugitive might be in Spain. He had previously lived there; his criminal organisation had a warehouse there from which drugs were allegedly loaded onto lorries and transported via France to Germany.
To evade arrest, the man is said to have taken extreme security precautions: he changed his phone number every two weeks and his identity every three months. He also completed a cybersecurity course in Turkey that trained him in methods to prevent his location from being tracked via operating systems, devices and social media.
The decisive breakthrough came from the suspect's brother. Following several days of observation and pursuit across multiple Spanish provinces, the suspect was eventually located as a passenger in his brother's car and arrested in Málaga.
Source: Google News DE — Crime (de)