Overview
- Spanish National Police detained the suspect in Soria on Monday after months of joint inquiries with Italian authorities and posted video showing him handcuffed and placed in a transport van.
- Italian prosecutors in Reggio Calabria have identified the man as 65‑year‑old Domenico Paviglianiti, known as "Don Mico," and say a European arrest warrant issued in July 2022 was used to secure the arrest.
- Prosecutors say Paviglianiti faces allegations of violent crimes, drug trafficking and money‑laundering and that he is subject to a combined sentence that could total about 19 years once Italy completes extradition and enforcement steps.
- Reports from Spanish outlets and police records show he served roughly 20 years in Italy before an administrative sentence‑calculation error and earlier lapses in detention allowed him to be released and evade justice.
- The capture removes a long‑time fugitive linked to the powerful Calabrian 'Ndrangheta and could trigger renewed probes into his network and cross‑border contacts as Italian authorities prepare transfer and prosecution.