Last two Vale de Judeus fugitives captured
British national Mark Cameron Roscaleer and Argentine citizen Rodolfo José Lohrmann were arrested in Alicante after five months on the run.
The last two fugitives from Portugal’s Vale de Judeus prison have been captured in Spain, the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) confirmed on Thursday.
British national Mark Cameron Roscaleer and Argentine citizen Rodolfo José Lohrmann were arrested in Alicante following months of coordinated efforts between Portuguese and Spanish authorities.
According to the PJ’s statement, Lohrmann, 59, and Roscaleer, 35, were detained by Spain’s National Police after an extensive intelligence-sharing operation.
The Spanish police also confirmed the arrests via social media, highlighting their close cooperation with Portuguese authorities.
Months on the Run
The two men had been on the run since September 7, 2024. Following their escape, police gathered intelligence that led them to southern Spain, where the fugitives had occasionally met despite initially going their separate ways.
Roscaleer had been under surveillance for months, particularly during his regular transits between Gibraltar—where he fled after leaving Portugal—and southern Spain.
Meanwhile, Lohrmann, described by the PJ as having a long criminal history involving organized crime, money laundering, bank robbery, weapons offenses, document forgery, and aggravated theft, was serving a 20-year prison sentence since November 2016.
Roscaleer, on the other hand, was convicted for violent crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping, and had been serving a nine-year sentence since May 2019.
Reactions
Both fugitives were subject to international arrest warrants and were listed on Interpol’s red notice.
The arrests were met with praise from Portuguese officials. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, speaking from the Czech Republic, called it “a good day for justice” and expressed satisfaction with the swift resolution of the case.
Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice also commended the efforts of the PJ and their Spanish counterparts, emphasizing that all five escapees from Vale de Judeus have now been recaptured. “This success is a testament to the trust citizens should have in our police forces,” she stated.
Earlier, Portuguese fugitives Fábio Loureiro and Fernando Ferreira, along with Georgian national Shergili Farjiani, had already been apprehended.
The Spanish authorities are expected to provide further details on the arrests in a press conference scheduled for Friday.