Thursday 21 December saw Belgian fugitive Koen V.S. was detained in Rojalies, near Alicante in Spain, having been on the run since 2020.
The Belgian national was sentenced in March 2020 by the Antwerp Court of Appeal to seven years immediate imprisonment. His offences included violent theft, extortion, unlawful imprisonment, death threats, drug-related crimes, fraud and breach of trust. However, the man was absent from his trial and has been actively sought by police ever since.
The suspect was previously arrested in Spain in 2021 but was released on bail pending his extradition to Belgium. Authorities lost track of him during his intended transfer, leading search efforts to start over again.
The fugitive was tracked down through a joint effort between the Belgian federal police, Europol, the Fugitive Active Search Team (FAST) NL, and the Spanish police services.
In addition to the Belgian authorities, Dutch officials are also requesting the individual’s extradition. He is now being held in a Spanish prison whilst waiting for the Spanish judicial authorities to make a decision regarding his extradition back to Belgium.
