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The Policía Nacional has arrested an 18-year-old Swedish man as the suspected gunman in the killing of plastic surgeon Alexander Aslani in Marbella.

 

Dr Aslani, 57, was shot several times in the head at around 6pm on Wednesday October 7 inside Cirumed Clinic, in the Río Real area of the town. The 18-year-old was detained on Thursday afternoon, less than a day after the attack.

 

Police believe the suspect acted on orders from someone else and had help from third parties. He does not live in Málaga province and was reportedly preparing to leave Spain soon. Further arrests have not been ruled out.

 

The case remains open and has been placed under judicial secrecy, so investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive.

 

Dr Aslani, who trained in Britain, was the founder and medical director of Cirumed, a plastic surgery clinic. Before opening it, he led the plastic surgery departments at Quirón Málaga and Quirón Marbella hospitals between 2008 and 2018.

 

According to reports, an attacker dressed in black, with a helmet and hood covering his face, arrived at the clinic on a motorcycle. He entered the building, went to the surgeon’s office and opened fire before fleeing on a motorcycle towards the Bello Horizonte area.

 

The Policía Nacional, Policía Local and 061 paramedics attended the scene and tried to stabilise Dr Aslani, but he could not be saved.

 

His wife, Jeannine, who worked with him as director of nursing, was inside the clinic when the shooting happened. She was among those who raised the alarm.

 

Investigators are examining whether the killing was connected to a patient or someone close to a patient. Sources cited in reports say Dr Aslani had no known links to drug trafficking or organised crime, although some of his patients or their relatives may have such connections.

 

Clinic staff told reporters that he sometimes declined to operate on people he considered unsuitable for surgery, including for physical or psychological reasons. They said that a few weeks earlier he had refused to operate on a patient and refunded her money. The patient was said to have reacted angrily and threatened him.

 

Staff also recalled that emergency services were called after someone threw objects at the clinic’s windows and façade. No one was found when police arrived.

 

Colleagues described the surgeon as dedicated to his work. “He was a good person, a tireless worker dedicated to his patients, and passionate about his profession,” they said.

 

The Málaga Medical Association condemned the killing. “We firmly and unequivocally reject any act of violence and express our deep concern regarding these extremely serious events that have resulted in the death of a doctor while he was carrying out his professional duties,” it said.

 

Patients have also paid tribute to the surgeon. Friend and former patient Nance Lala Van der Veken wrote: “I’m absolutely devastated. You didn’t just change my body, you helped shape a part of my life. You were truly one of the best plastic surgeons, but to me, you were so much more than my doctor. You were my friend, someone I trusted completely, and someone whose work I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

 

 

Image: dr._aslani/Instagram