Milan, Italy – A Slovak fugitive, wanted by Italian authorities for thefts committed in 2010, was arrested Wednesday while attending the Winter Olympics in Milan, police confirmed Saturday.
The 44-year-vintage man was apprehended after checking into a campsite on the outskirts of Milan, triggering an automatic alert to authorities, according to a statement released by the carabinieri, Italy’s military police. He had been on the run for 16 years.
Italian police were able to locate and arrest the man before he could attend Slovakia’s opening hockey game against Finland at the Santagiulia Arena, where Slovakia secured a 4-1 victory. Slovakia continued their strong start to the tournament, also defeating Italy in a subsequent preliminary match on Friday.
The fugitive has been transferred to Milan’s San Vittore prison to begin serving a sentence of 11 months and 7 days. The arrest occurred as the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics commenced, drawing international attention to the event.
Authorities did not release the man’s name. The carabinieri confirmed the arrest followed a routine check of campsite registrations.