A man wanted by Quebec provincial police in connection with the massive Desjardins data breach that affected nearly 10 million members has been arrested in Spain after evading authorities for more than a year.
Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said Tuesday that Juan Pablo Serrano, 40, was arrested by Spanish authorities on Nov. 6, 2025, following a joint operation involving police in Spain, the SQ and Interpol.
Serrano had been sought since June 2024 by the SQ’s financial crime and cybercrime units for theft and resale of personal information belonging to the 9.7 million members of Desjardins Group, one of Canada’s largest financial institutions.
Police allege Serrano purchased the stolen data from a former Desjardins employee and used it for various fraud schemes.
Interpol had issued a Red Notice — a request to police worldwide to help find and temporarily detain a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action — for Serrano to help locate him internationally.
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Quebec police say he was considered one of the province’s most-wanted fugitives.
Authorities say Serrano will remain in custody in Spain while extradition proceedings are initiated to return him to Canada.
Once back in the country, he is expected to face multiple charges including identity theft, trafficking in identity information, and fraud over $5,000.
The SQ credited Spanish authorities, Interpol and several national and international partners for the arrest, including the U.S. Secret Service Ottawa Field Office and its Madrid Resident Office, “whose contributions were instrumental to the success of this operation,” the SQ said in a release.
The Desjardins data breach, first uncovered in 2019, exposed the personal information of millions of members and has been described as one of the largest privacy breaches in Canadian history.
The breach occurred over more than a two-year period before the financial institution became aware of it.