Belgian suspect arrested for contract killing in Fuengirola

A 19-year-old Belgian man, identified as Shah C., has been arrested in northern Belgium in connection with a contract killing that occurred in Fuengirola, Spain, in December 2024.

The victim, a 25-year-old Dutch citizen, was shot with a semi-automatic weapon while working at a cannabis club. Authorities state that Shah C., who was 17 at the time of the crime, was allegedly recruited as a hitman to kill a different individual, but the victim was killed instead.

The suspect had previously been detained in Ghent in June 2025 under a European arrest warrant and transferred to Spain, where he was held in a juvenile center. However, he was released in May after reaching the legal nine-month limit for detention without trial. Following his release, he went into hiding until his recent arrest in Laarne, Belgium, on June 25, following a new European arrest warrant issued by Dutch authorities.

Shah C. has been transferred to the Netherlands, where he will face justice. The Dutch judicial system has coordinated with the Juvenile Court of Málaga to handle the case due to the victim's nationality. In addition to the primary suspect, six other individuals involved in the criminal organization are also set to be tried in the Netherlands.