To keep his identity obscured, alleged drug trafficker burned his skin and got fingerprint implants

A scanned fingerprint.
(Image credit: Ian Waldie/Getty Images)

He could have just worn gloves for 15 years straight, but instead, an alleged drug trafficker in Spain cut and burned off the skin of his fingers, then underwent surgery for fingerprint implants.

"It was a very sophisticated, specialist process that took place over a number of years," a Policía Nacional spokeswoman told The Guardian. Police say the man, originally from northwest Spain, was arrested on Tuesday near Madrid after 15 years on the run. His fingerprints were no longer recognizable, and he had also had a hair transplant to alter his appearance.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.