Spanish police have arrested a fugitive wanted by Italian authorities after he allegedly escaped from prison four times in Italy and Belgium.
The man, described by Spanish authorities as dangerous, was apprehended in Tarragona, northeastern Spain, following an investigation into his whereabouts.
He was wanted under a European arrest warrant issued by Italy after escaping from a maximum-security prison in the country in December.
According to Spain’s National Police on Wednesday, the fugitive cut through window bars at the facility before using knotted bedsheets to lower himself to freedom.
His latest escape was reportedly the fourth time he had broken out of custody.
Police said his previous prison escapes occurred at facilities in Terni and Parma in Italy, as well as a prison in Belgium.
In Belgium, he allegedly used a human pyramid formed by fellow inmates to scale the prison walls and escape.
“It sounds like something out of a movie, but sometimes reality is stranger than fiction,” Spanish police said while describing his repeated escapes.
Authorities did not disclose the man’s identity or the offence for which he had been imprisoned, but said he was considered dangerous.
Investigators eventually traced him to a neighbourhood in Tarragona where he was believed to have been staying.
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Police said the suspect resisted arrest when officers moved in, while several people accompanying him allegedly attempted to prevent the arrest.
One of those individuals reportedly attacked the officers, injuring two police personnel during the confrontation.
Following his arrest, authorities said the fugitive was found with false identity documents and two €500 banknotes suspected to be counterfeit.
A Spanish judge subsequently ordered that he remain in provisional custody without bail while proceedings for his extradition to Italy are considered.
The case has drawn attention because of the suspect’s repeated ability to escape from heavily guarded correctional facilities across Europe.
He is expected to remain in Spanish custody until the extradition process is concluded.