Spanish judge accidentally releases fugitive ‘senior Italian mafia member’ after two-year manhunt

The suspect was released from jail in Barcelona (file photo)

Credit: Paul Hanna/Bloomberg

A judge in Spain has allowed an alleged leading member of the ’Ndrangheta mafia organisation to walk free after failing to realise that the arrested man was a most-wanted suspect in his native Italy.

Vittorio Raso was arrested in Barcelona earlier this month after a two-year police operation to track him down following a tip from the Italian authorities.

On October 12 the Spanish police released a statement to mark the arrest of Raso, describing him as a ‘vangelo’, a high rank in the ’Ndrangheta hierarchy, wanted in Italy on suspicion of belonging to a criminal organisation, drug trafficking and extortion.

The next day, however, Raso appeared via video-link before a judge from Madrid’s National Court, specialised in organised crime, and was not remanded in custody pending the ongoing judicial investigation, apparently because the judge was aware only of the accusation of extortion.    

Two hours later a dossier of additional information arrived from Italy, describing in detail Raso’s alleged criminal career as a leading member of the ’Ndrangheta organisation. By that time, however, the 41-year-old had left his police holding cell in Barcelona.

The National Court reacted and put out a fresh arrest warrant for Raso, but the suspect was not to be found in his apartment in Barcelona or other regular haunts used by his associates in the city.

Police sources told the El País newspaper that they had included a four-page report in the file on Raso for the judge’s consideration, detailing his allegedly violent extortion activities, drug trafficking and the suspicion that he was a leading member of the ’Ndrangheta.

“Everyone is looking for him. The homes where he was known to have stayed have been searched, but there is no trace of him,” one police source said.

Raso, who was first traced by Spanish police to Málaga before moving to Barcelona, was suspected of planning to take a boat to Brazil using a fake identity, such as the one he was allegedly carrying when arrested.

Raso remains a wanted man in Spain over payments on loans taken out by victims from the criminal group, which came with monthly interest rates of 10 per cent.

Raso is accused of enforcing repayment of the loans by using violent means, as well as trafficking cannabis between Spain and Italy.