MADRID: Spanish police said Tuesday they have captured a fugitive known as “the man of a thousand names” wanted by Peruvian authorities for alleged possession of explosives.
The suspect, who belongs to a Peruvian gang called “Los Terribles del 17,” which is involved in violent crime, was arrested in Madrid after months of investigation, Spain’s National Police said in a statement.
“He had deliberately removed his fingerprints and was using a stolen identity belonging to someone else,” it added.
The man previously took part in a mass escape in 2012 from Challapalca Prison, a remote high-altitude maximum-security facility in southern Peru that houses violent criminals.
He was arrested again in 2024 while in possession of an explosive device and ammunition, with evidence suggesting his involvement in extortion and contract killings.
However, he managed to evade justice once more by fleeing to Spain. He is now in custody pending extradition.
Peru is grappling with a crime wave fueled by a surge in extortion schemes as gangs exert increasing control over urban areas.