Italian authorities have confirmed the arrest of a high-profile Slovak fugitive during a men’s ice hockey preparatory match at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The arrested man told authorities he had traveled to Milan to support the Slovak hockey team.
The 44-year-old had an arrest warrant issued by the Bolzano court in 2010 for thefts in commercial establishments.
Meanwhile, police discovered the man on Wednesday morning after receiving an automatic alert from a property in the Baggio district on the outskirts of Milan. He was taken to San Vittore prison to serve a remaining sentence of eleven months and seven days for property crimes.
According to recent reports, he was arrested at a campsite on Via Ajraghi and did not resist arrest. Slovakia played against Finland, but the man could not attend because he was already in custody.
Authorities further released a statement suggesting that the man may not have been aware of the active arrest warrants against him as he had been absent from Italy for many years. Furthermore, the arrest came as Italian police increased security measures in the wake of the “Olympic craze” currently surrounding the Winter Games.
