Facundo Ciarlo arrested in Spain following international fraud investigation

Facundo Ciarlo, a 52-year-old Argentine known as ‘Sapo’, has been arrested in Málaga, Spain, following an international manhunt. The arrest was coordinated between the Buenos Aires City Police and Spanish authorities after Interpol issued an international capture warrant.

Investigators tracked Ciarlo to Spain by monitoring his social media activity. Digital footprints from Facebook connections allowed detectives to pinpoint his location in Málaga. He was intercepted by the Málaga Police Group of Investigation and Protection (GIP) while driving a Jeep Renegade.

Ciarlo is accused of orchestrating a large-scale fraud scheme involving the use of stolen, cloned, or duplicate credit cards to purchase travel packages, which were then resold through a travel agency called ‘The Frog Travel’. He has a prior criminal record, having been sentenced in 2016 to three years in prison for illicit association and fraud in Chubut, Argentina.

At the time of his arrest, authorities reportedly found diamonds, cash, false passports, and various electronic devices. Legal proceedings for his extradition to Argentina are currently underway.