Arrest made in Lorca double murder linked to Italian mafia

Suspect arrested nearly two months after the shootings of an Italian man and a North African man in Lorca

The Guardia Civil has arrested a suspect in connection with the double murder that left two men dead in October. One of the men found shot dead was a 65-year-old Italian with possible links to the mafia.

On October 7, two men were found dead. Guiliano Velo, a 65-year-old Italian man with a long criminal record, including crimes like homicide and drug trafficking. He was killed in his home in El Cantal, Garrobillo. A second victim, a North African man, was found tied up in the trunk of a car in nearby Ramonete. The Guardia Civil launched a large scale police investigation, including aerial units.

Giuliano Velo was a suspected member of the Italian mafia and had been awaiting trial for his alleged involvement with ‘narcolanchas,’ boats used in drug trafficking. He previously served time for drug trafficking and even escaped prison, remaining a fugitive until his sentence and any charges for breaching it had run out. Authorities say he also had been investigated for the 2010 murder of another Italian in nearby Águilas, but the charges were dropped at a later date.

The arrest in connection with the Lorca double murder

After nearly two months, the Guardia Civil confirmed the arrest of a man linked to this double homicide in Lorca. Details about his role and whether he acted alone or as part of a wider criminal network have not been revealed so far. The case remains under judicial secrecy.

Image: Guardia Civil