Albanian 'Escape Wizard' Arrested in Spain After Four Prison Breaks

Spanish police have arrested Toma Taulant, an Albanian national known as the escape wizard, in the city of Tarragona. Taulant was the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by Italy. He had previously escaped from four different prisons: three in Italy and one in Belgium. His most recent escape occurred in December from a maximum security prison in Milan, where he reportedly sawed through bars and used knotted bedsheets to climb out. Other previous escapes included a 2009 break from a prison in Terni, a 2013 escape from a prison in Parma, and a 2013 break from a Belgian facility where he allegedly used a human pyramid to scale a wall. Taulant was serving a sentence in Italy for crimes including drug dealing, theft, and violent robbery, with a release date originally set for 2048.

The arrest in Tarragona involved a confrontation. Authorities report that Taulant resisted arrest and was aided by companions. One associate allegedly injured two police officers before fleeing and discarding a Sig Sauer pistol, which police later recovered. Upon his arrest, Taulant was found with fake identity documents and two suspected counterfeit 500 euro banknotes. Italian media reports suggest he was hiding in a high crime neighborhood and may have been protected by an Albanian mafia network involved in drug trafficking. A judge has denied him bail, and he remains in custody in Tarragona awaiting extradition to Italy.