Spain’s National Police on the Costa del Sol have detained a Polish crime boss listed by Europol as one of Europe’s most wanted, for alleged murder, drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organisation.
The suspect – who police believe to be the leader of a violent Krakow-based gang that moved narcotics from Spain to Poland – was tracked down and arrested in Benahavís, in the province of Malaga (Andalusia).
The investigation began in May, when Polish authorities received intelligence pointing to the presence in Spain of a violent organised group engaged in international drug trafficking. They further reported that the organisation formed part of a criminal network that controlled much of Krakow’s drug trade.
Poland’s broader probe into the group dates back to 2016. In 2022, two trafficking networks – focused mainly on marijuana and operating between Spain, Poland and other European countries – were dismantled. Both outfits used strict hierarchies to coordinate intra-EU purchases of large quantities of drugs, their cross-border transport and distribution in Poland and beyond.
Investigators documented transactions involving more than 140 kg of marijuana, as well as cocaine, with black-market values running to several million zlotys (Polish currency).
Polish investigators also found members of these networks had carried out multiple offences, including violent attacks on border-control officers and civilians.
Spanish inquiries ultimately identified and located the alleged principal fugitive. An arrest operation was mounted with support from a delegation of Krakow police. Before being captured, he had evaded Polish justice for more than two years. After his detention, another leader of the organisation was found and arrested in the municipality of Denia in the province of Alicante (Valencia region).
In a statement, Spain’s National Police, backed by Europol and Polish authorities, said the action aligns with the EU’s security strategy, which centres on four priorities: building a security environment fit for the future, countering emerging threats, protecting Europeans from terrorism and organised crime, and fostering a robust European security ecosystem.
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🚩Detenido en #Benahavís (#Málaga) un #fugitivo polaco considerado objetivo de alto valor por @Europol
🔹Junto a otro prófugo (también arrestado) lideraba una red criminal de carácter violento dedicada al tráfico de drogas
🔹Cofinanciada por #FondosEuropeos de @FondosUEseg pic.twitter.com/81EZH9hYIP
— Policía Nacional (@policia) August 26, 2025
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