Police have arrested a 44-year-old Slovakian national at the Winter Olympics after he spent 16 years on the run.
Acting on a warrant issued against him by Italian prosecutors 16 years earlier, the local Carabinieri police apprehended the fugitive on Wednesday night, later revealing the news in a statement.
Despite being on the Italian police wanted list, the Slovak man returned to the country to follow the national hockey team at the Winter Olympics, the Carabinieri said.
Police tracked down the man after he checked in at a guesthouse on the outskirts of Milan and took him to the central San Vittore prison.
The unnamed man, who had planned to attend Slovakia’s opening ice hockey game on Wednesday, has 11 months and seven days to serve for a string of shop thefts he committed in 2010, the Carabinieri said.
In his absence, the Slovakian men’s hockey team debuted at the Milan-Cortina Games with a big win over Finland.
Slovakian fans celebrate while watching their team win the opening game at the Olympics
The fugitive had planned on watching Slovakia play against Finland in their opening game
The game took place at Santagiulia Arena on Wednesday night, with Slovakia sealing a 4-1 victory in their Group B preliminary round match.
On Thursday, Canada’s men began their own campaign at the same arena, thrashing Czechia 5-0 in Group A.
The USA, meanwhile, are set to begin their Olympic Games against Latvia on Thursday night.