British fugitive 'drug smuggler' arrested in Spain on international warrant

15 October 2023 , 08:47

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The British man being taken into custody in Spain (Image: SOLARPIX.COM)

A Brit wanted over alleged drug offences is being held on Spain’s Costa Blanca on an international arrest warrant.

The 35-year-old fugitive was detained in the resort of Javea north of Alicante and his home searched in an operation involving the UK’s National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police as well as officers from the Civil Guard’s elite UCO Central Operative Unit. Spanish police said today he had been “directly linked” to the importation into Britain of large amounts of cocaine, heroin and ecstasy as well as money laundering. He is thought to have been identified after expert analysis of messages on encrypted communications network Encrochat.

The fugitive was detained following a raid this weekend (SOLARPIX.COM)

A spokesman for the Civil Guard confirmed today: “The Civil Guard has arrested a British man who had been wanted by authorities in his country since 2020 for drug trafficking, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation. Specifically he has been directly related to the import of large amounts of different drugs into the UK, following analysis work carried out by investigators there on different intercepted encrypted servers used by several criminal organisations in their communications.”

Saying UCO officers managed to locate the fugitive’s associates in the province of Alicante after “weeks of intense but discreet work”, the Civil Guard spokesman added: “That enabled us to locate and arrest the wanted man in the municipality of Javea.

The man has been held on Spain’s Costa Blanca (SOLARPIX.COM)

“The home where he was hiding out was subsequently searched in an operation in which NCA and Metropolitan Police detectives participated. The force identified the drugs as cocaine, heroin and ecstasy, adding: “The fugitive has also been linked to the laundering of the proceeds obtained from the sale of these substances.

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“Another fugitive accused of belonging to the same criminal organisation was arrested by the Civi Guard’s UCO unit in January last year in Palma in Majorca.” It was not immediately clear today if the detainee has agreed to be extradited or is opposing his forced return to the UK.

Natalia Penza