Spain's most wanted robber, "The Loner", arrested

MADRID, July 24 (Reuters) Spain's most wanted robber, accused of killing three policemen and holding up more than 30 banks disguised with a false beard and a wig, was arrested in Portugal, Spanish police said.

The man known only by his nickname ''The Loner'' was arrested yesterday in Figueira da Foz, a coastal city 200 km north of Lisbon, police said.

The Loner, whose heavily disguised face has graced news bulletins for years thanks to footage from security cameras, would enter banks with a metal crutch and a submachine gun hidden under a bulky jacket.

Despite a varying wardrobe of long, dark wigs, police believe the man probably in his 40s is bald and that he is really lightly built underneath layers of clothing and a flak jacket.

REUTERS CS PM0444