The National Police arrested 11 international fugitives in Ibiza in 2024, as part of several operations aimed at locating and arresting persons wanted by the justice system of other countries.
In total, 41 such arrests were made in the Balearic Islands: 26 in Mallorca, 11 in Ibiza and 4 in Menorca, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior.
In addition, during the past year, the security corps made 1,258 arrests in the archipelago of persons with warrants from Spanish courts. This represents an increase of 9.3% compared to 2023, when 1,154 people with national arrest warrants and 34 international fugitives were arrested.
International arrest warrants in Ibiza
In the specific case of those arrested in Ibiza, the arrest warrants came from various European and non-EU countries, in the framework of investigations and operations coordinated with international organizations. The arrests were mainly carried out in the context of judicial cooperation with the European Union through European Arrest Warrants (EAW), as well as in collaboration with countries that have bilateral agreements with Spain.
Among the most recent cases, authorities reported the arrest of fugitives wanted by Germany for violent crimes and fraud, as well as individuals wanted by the French and Italian justice systems. In previous years, some arrests in the islands included fugitives with records of homicide, violent robbery and large-scale economic crimes.
Growth in arrests over the last five years
In the last five years, the National Police has completed 5,237 arrests of persons wanted by the Spanish justice system and 178 arrests of international fugitives in the Balearic Islands.
The increase in the number of arrests responds to the intensification of security controls and collaboration with international organizations. The geographic location and the tourist dynamism of the islands make Ibiza a destination where some fugitives try to hide, which has led to a reinforcement in surveillance and the application of recognition and identification technology in the operations.
