Two international fugitives wanted for serious violent crimes involving firearms have been arrested on the Costa del Sol in a major police crackdown.

Officers from the Policía Nacional detained the suspects in separate operations in Estepona and Marbella, acting on international arrest warrants issued by Interpol.

The arrests are linked to two separate violent cases, consisting of a homicide in Turkey and an attempted murder in Ukraine, where the victim was shot three times and left seriously injured.

Police say both suspects were being actively hunted by authorities in their home countries.

The first arrest took place on March 9, when officers stopped a vehicle in Estepona and identified a 26-year-old Turkish man.

He was wanted in connection with a fatal shooting in Izmir in 2023, where he allegedly helped those responsible, even providing logistical support to aid their escape.

A second operation on March 16 led to the arrest of a 34-year-old Ukrainian man in Nueva Andalucia, Marbella.

He is accused of involvement in an attempted murder in Zaporizhzhia in 2019, where the victim survived after being shot multiple times thanks to emergency medical intervention.

Both arrests form part of an intensified security strategy on the Costa del Sol, a region known to attract international criminal networks due to its global connections and tourism industry.

Authorities say increased controls are helping identify and capture fugitives hiding in southern Spain.

The suspects have now been referred to Spain’s High Court, the Audiencia Nacional, which will oversee the next legal steps, including extradition.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.