Investigators' success

“Balkan Escobar” arrested on the run in Spain

Ramo R. (52) was arrested in Fuengirola, Spain, while on the run.(Bild: saiko3p - stock.adobe.com)

An EU-wide wanted drug boss (52) was tracked down by investigators in Spain - crypto cell phone chats led to the trail of the Austrian-Macedonian dual citizen.

Ramo R. alias "Boss", known as the overpowering Balkan godfather and powerful mastermind of international drug trafficking, is behind bars - again. The 52-year-old dual national (Austrian-North Macedonian) was arrested while on the run in the Andalusian city of Fuengirola in Spain as part of the "Achilles" task force set up by the Federal Criminal Police Office.

Successful: BK Director Andreas Holzer and Head of Narcotics Daniel Lichtenegger.(Bild: BK/Armin Halm)

The godfather is considered a "dazzling" key figure in the coordinated distribution of tons of drugs. According to investigators, over the years he built up a network to South America, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Iran and the Balkans in order to smuggle the "poison" into Europe.

Ramo R. (52) was arrested in Fuengirola, Spain, while on the run.(Bild: saiko3p - stock.adobe.com)

With this arrest, the Federal Criminal Police Office is once again demonstrating its central role in the fight against organized crime.

Andreas Holzer, Direktor des Bundeskriminalamtes

Back in 2015, the handcuffs clicked for "boss" Ramo R. in Vienna, where extra apartments were rented to make decisions about important drug deals with the mafia family who had flown in from the Balkans. The "boss" ended up spending four years and six months behind bars. The 52-year-old renounced a solid life afterwards. The Vienna public prosecutor's office quickly issued a new EU arrest warrant: Suspicion of international drug smuggling and drug trafficking.

Then on Monday the seizure in Spain. Further investigations, in particular evaluations of crypto cell phone chats from the ANOM and Sky ECC services, led to further illegal drug quantities with a total volume of more than one tonne. A small excerpt from the menu: 223 kilos of cocaine, 107 kilos of heroin, 493 kilos of cannabis, 141,000 ecstasy tablets with a street value of 34 million euros.

In any case, the investigation is far from over. To date, dozens of high-ranking members of the Balkan clan have been arrested in the course of Operation Achilles. With a remarkable number of years in prison: 1000!