Fábio Loureiro, commonly known as Fábio ‘Cigano’, was handed over to the Portuguese Judicial Police (PJ) on Wednesday after being recaptured in Tangier by Moroccan authorities on October 6, 2024, following his escape from the Vale de Judeus Prison on September 7 of the previous year.
The operation was conducted “in close coordination with the Attorney General’s Office concerning international judicial cooperation,” as stated in a communiqué from the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
“The corresponding formal extradition request was promptly presented by the Attorney General, and it was granted by the authorities of the Kingdom of Morocco. At the time, the international police operation was launched in less than 24 hours,” the statement added.
The National Police Corps (CNP) and the Moroccan Directorate General of National Territorial Surveillance (DGST) also collaborated in the operation, considering “credible information from the PJ that Fábio Loureiro, who was subject to an international arrest warrant, was in Morocco.”
It is noteworthy that Fábio Loureiro had been convicted of crimes including kidnapping, drug trafficking, criminal association, armed robbery, and evasion, and escaped from Vale de Judeus with four other inmates on September 7, 2024.
All the inmates, who had been serving sentences ranging from seven to 25 years, have now been recaptured by authorities.
Last week, the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services (DGRSP) proposed the suspension of the director, a chief, and seven guards working in that prison, revealed a source from the Ministry of Justice.
The individuals in question are currently being notified of the accusations and have the opportunity to defend themselves before the DGRSP makes a final decision within the disciplinary proceedings initiated in October, the source added, citing information provided by the organization.
According to the authorities, there is strong evidence of serious disciplinary infractions, justifying the severe sanction.
[Updated at 15:50]
