A man sentenced in Italy to 20 years in prison for sexual exploitation and drug trafficking was arrested by Mossos d'Esquadra during a preventive police operation on the C-16 highway near Castellbell i el Vilar, Barcelona. The arrest came at around 11:00 on August 13, after a routine identity check revealed an active international warrant issued by Italian authorities.
The detained man, a 26-year-old Colombian national, had been convicted in Italy in March for crimes committed between January and July 2025. Catalan police sources said he lured Colombian women to Italy with false job offers, then forced them into prostitution and supplied them with drugs to sell to clients. Officers found the international warrant when they checked his documents during the roadside control. The alleged conduct falls within recognized forms of trafficking, including sexual exploitation and forced criminality.
After his arrest in Catalonia, the National Court ordered his immediate transfer to Madrid on August 14 to continue the legal process tied to Italy's extradition request. The case reflects cooperation between Spanish and Italian law enforcement against cross-border crime. Similar international police operations have recently led to high-profile arrests, including the detention of a suspect linked to a major wildfire in León, as reported in a previous case involving coordinated police efforts.
Within the European Union, a European Arrest Warrant is a judicial mechanism based on mutual recognition. It allows one member state to seek another's surrender of a person for prosecution or to serve a custodial sentence. Courts handle the process, rather than political extradition procedures. General rules provide for a surrender decision within 60 days, or within 10 days if the person consents. The warrant structure also sets minimum thresholds for prosecution and enforcement cases. These procedures form part of the broader legal context for cross-border cases involving Italy and Spain.
European Commission figures underline the scale of trafficking: more than 20,000 victims were registered across the EU in 2023 and 2024, a 16.1% increase on 2021-2022. Women and girls represented 63% of registered victims, while sexual exploitation accounted for 48% of recorded cases. The figures cover identified victims, and the EU has noted that under-identification means the true scale is likely higher. The Commission’s anti-trafficking strategy prioritizes action against organized crime and support for people at risk, alongside the use of technology to detect trafficking. The C-16 is a major route in Catalonia. Cooperation between Mossos d'Esquadra and judicial authorities is part of efforts to pursue transnational criminal networks and protect people from exploitation.
