On the surface, Dr Alexander Aslani appeared to have everything. The pioneering plastic surgeon drove to his clinic on Spain’s sun-drenched Costa del Sol in a distinctive grey Ferrari and counted reality television stars and members of the Qatari royal family among his high-profile clients.
The world-renowned doctor lived in a spectacular five-bedroom villa in the foothills of Mijas Costa. From the property, he could look out across the Mediterranean coastline and the surrounding Andalusian mountains.
The father of two also spent much of his free time on his 40ft yacht, kept in a £15,000-a-year berth at the marina in Puerto Banus, the luxury resort known as a playground for millionaires.
But Dr Aslani’s glamorous jet-set life came to a horrific end earlier this month. A masked gunman entered his clinic and shot the 57-year-old plastic surgeon in a brutal attack.
Police sources told the Daily Mail that Dr Aslani was struck four times as he crouched in his office, in front of patients, employees and his wife, Jeannine. She often visited him from the beauty salon next door.
Dr Alexander Aslani and his wife Jeannine. He was shot dead by a masked gunman at his Costa del Sol clinic in front of her
Dr Aslani’s high-profile clients included reality TV personalities and members of the Qatari royal family
Detectives were left shocked by the final shot, which was fired into his face from point-blank range. They suspect it may have been a final act of vengeance by a dissatisfied patient who hired a killer to carry out the attack.
Despite enjoying the rewards that came with his success, Dr Aslani had spoken publicly about the pressures of working at the forefront of a high-profile medical profession. The work could bring immense recognition and financial reward, he said, but one mistake could also trigger a career-ending scandal.
The Daily Mail can now reveal that the German-born surgeon, regarded by clients as a calm and exacting perfectionist, had privately expressed fears for his safety just days before he was killed.
He had previously contacted police about death threats after being targeted by a dissatisfied client.
Behind his composed public image, Dr Aslani had become increasingly anxious and was living with growing fears for the safety of himself and his family.
To the outside world, it had been business as usual when Dr Aslani, known for a pioneering procedure dubbed the ‘super-charged Brazilian butt lift’, travelled to a plastic surgery conference in Brussels and addressed fellow delegates.
However, the surgeon had taken additional security measures at his home in Majadilla del Muerto, a village about a 30-minute drive from his Marbella clinic. Three days before his death, he confided his concerns to a fellow delegate.
The colleague, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Mail: ‘It was such a shock for me when I heard what had happened to Alex.
‘He had been with us in Belgium the weekend before he died and left on the Sunday. As usual, he was informative and knowledgeable, sharing his years of experience with us.
‘In public, he seemed happy and relaxed, but privately he appeared concerned.
‘I have visited him and his wife, Jeannine, many times and stayed with them. They have two lovely daughters, and she is devastated.
‘I have sent her my condolences but, as you can imagine, she is in a state of shock. We all are in the plastic surgery world. Alex was such a respected surgeon with a huge international reputation.
‘I know he was worried about security and had heard that he was facing problems. He had cameras at both the clinic and his home, I know that, but he did not have a bodyguard with him in Brussels. He may have had one in Spain; I don’t know.’
‘Poor, poor Jeannine, she has two lovely girls, and this is such a waste of a life, it’s really very sad and there is no justification at all for such a violent act.’
Dr Fahad Mirza, a Pakistan-based plastic surgeon, also paid tribute to Dr Aslani and revealed he had spoken to him just hours before he died.
The pair were planning for a conference Dr Aslani was due to address in Karachi in three weeks.
Emergency services at the Cirumed Clinic after the father of two was attacked
Dr Aslani was the founder and medical director of Cirumed Clinic in Marbella, Spain
Specialising in body contouring and facial surgery, Dr Aslani attracted patients from more than 40 countries
Dr Aslani has treated a number of famous clients including former Towie star Chloe Sims and TV personality Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace
‘I’m so, so shocked. I spoke with him a few hours before he died,’ Dr Mirza told us.
‘He was coming to Karachi with his wife and one of his daughters, we called him ‘The Master’ because he was so good at his job. No one can believe what has happened, he was a fantastic colleague and a friend.
‘When we spoke, he didn’t seem to have any concerns, but these are not always noticeable on a phone call, and I’ve read the reports it was an unhappy patient.
‘That is something we have to deal with. Occasionally people can become obsessed with their image, it’s body dysmorphia and they are convinced they have flaws; despite any surgery they have had being successful and proper procedures followed.’
After returning to Spain, Dr Aslani – who had performed more than 7,000 of the operations in a career spanning more than 30 years – was back hard at work at his Circumed Clinic.
Specialising in body contouring and facial surgery he had attracted patients from more than 40 countries with clients including Chloe Sims from The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island star Hannah Elizabeth.
It was at 6pm on Wednesday, October 7 that the hitman struck. Dressed all in black, with a hoodie pulled over his crash helmet, the killer walked into the clinic, swiftly located Aslani and shot him repeatedly before fleeing on a motorbike.
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Neighbours told how in the aftermath of the shooting Dr Aslani’s wife ran from the building screaming hysterically: ‘They’ve killed my husband.’
Making his getaway on a Yamaha Maxi Scooter along the slip road by the A7, the alleged killer turned right towards the Bello Horizonte area of Marbella where he was seen getting into an Audi which sped away.
He was caught on CCTV and automatic number plate recognition technology enabled police to track the car.
The man was traced to an Airbnb in Benalmadena 25 miles away where he had checked in under a false name. Police broke down the door to arrest him.
The suspect – an 18-year-old Swedish national – denies involvement and has been remanded in custody without bail while the investigation continues.
The man has allegedly refused to reveal who hired him and who his accomplices were with police still looking for the driver of the Audi.
Detectives from Marbella’s UDEV murder squad revealed Dr Aslani had reported threats to police from an unidentified patient back in April who was unhappy with a procedure he had carried out.
Earlier this week local media reported how officers were investigating a wealthy Arab client who had demanded the return of a £17,000 deposit from Dr Aslani.
He had allegedly refused insisting they were the ‘standard charges’ for preliminary procedures involving a Brazilian Butt Lift.
According to respected newspaper Diario Sur the woman and her husband had been ‘threatening’ Dr Aslani for several months.
They are said to have visited the clinic to ‘issue warnings’ to staff before leaving Spain for an unidentified country in the Middle East.
What is also intriguing is just how well the assassin knew the layout of the clinic, he was able to walk in, march past the reception desk and the waiting area with its leather sofa and coffee machine straight into Dr Aslani’s office.
The clinic has remained closed since the killing but neighbours told how they heard ‘screaming and shouting’ before police and paramedics arrived at the scene within minutes.
Dr Aslani has been the subject of controversy in the past, having been disciplined by the General Medical Council (GMC) in 2012
One said: ‘I hadn’t seen his wife since the night of the shooting but a couple of days ago she turned up and then I saw his grey Ferrari had gone from the underground car park, so she must have taken it home.
‘Their children are at the same school as mine, but nothing has been said and they haven’t come back to class yet.’
While high-profile clients have posted glowing tributes of the surgeon he has also previously been at the centre of controversy.
In 2012, Dr Aslani was disciplined by the UK’s General Medical Council when the watchdog ordered him to tackle ‘deficiencies’ in six areas of his practice, including patient consent and post-operative care.
The ruling meant he wasn’t allowed to operate in the UK at the time without written permission, and had to work under a medical supervisor.
Then, four years later, he gave up his medical licence in Britain, meaning he could not legally work in the country.
In 2020 influencer Paulina Sobierajska, who had undergone three procedures by Dr Aslani, claimed the last one was ‘botched’, saying her implants had been wrongly positioned and she needed further reconstructive surgery.
Having initially promoted Dr Aslani to followers, she then urged women not to book any procedures with the surgeon.
Dr Aslani took Ms Sobierajska to the High Court for libel, with the court ruling in his favour and ordering Ms Sobierajska to pay £40,000 in damages.
In a separate 2018 court case, records show one client sued Dr Aslani for medical malpractice after an operation by him and inadequate follow-up care.
Dr Aslani, the hospital and its insurers were ordered to pay nearly £20,000.
Before setting up his Cirumed Clinic in Marbella in 2018, Dr Aslani trained in Austria and South Africa, and he also worked as a consultant plastic surgeon in Birmingham’s Dolan Park Hospital from 2006-2007 and London’s Highgate Hospital at the same time.
Dr Aslani’s clinic has remained closed since the killing. The surgeon performed more than 7,000 of the operations in a career spanning over 30 years
His LinkedIn profile says he became head of plastic surgery at the Quiron hospitals in Marbella and Malaga in 2008 and he was rated as one of Spain’s leading surgeons.
Along with reports of a disgruntled Arab client it has also been claimed the family of a Colombian woman who reportedly died following surgery had sought revenge.
What is increasingly clear is the growing level of organised crime on the Costa del Sol and the ready availability of guns for hire – with killers recruited from overseas and some barely out of school.
In an interview on local radio earlier this week Fernando Bentabol, of the anti-drugs department in Malaga, was asked about Dr Aslani’s murder and said the area had a ‘serious problem with paid assassins’.
He added: ‘There are now veritable organisations dedicated to having people travel from certain places, especially many from northern Europe, who are simply hired for this type of operation.
‘They come, carry out the assassination, and then leave. And this is very easy to arrange through the dark web.’