A man has been arrested a matter of hours after UK law enforcement named the 12 most wanted individuals who are thought to be hiding in Spain.
The National Crime Agency (NCA), Spanish police, and Crimestoppers launched their latest “rogues gallery” on Thursday, warning expatriates and holidaymakers: “These are not the people you want in your neighbourhood.”
Later, the NCA said one of the men, Simon Dutton, had been arrested in La Nucia, near Benidorm, and was currently in custody in Spain.
The 49-year-old was sentenced for organising large importations of cocaine and money laundering, with one interception being valued at £1.5 million, according to the agency.
Operation Captura, now in its 20th year, has issued 11 public appeals and led to the arrest of 98 of 111 most wanted offenders and suspects thought to be in Spain being caught.
NCA deputy director of international Rick Jones said criminals hope to blend in among British ex-pats and often continue offending while living in Spain.
“They will generally integrate themselves into these communities, which are populated by many, many thousands of British people who are perhaps enjoying their retirement or running businesses there,” he said.
“Criminals will do what they do here, which is integrate themselves and hide among society, and then abuse that trust of those communities and offend against them, or indeed these days it’s very easy to offend against victims or vulnerable people in other countries from anywhere in the world.
“That’s why we are so determined to leave no stone unturned and no safe place for them to do that and offend against the Spanish communities and our own back here.”
Fugitives often use fake passports in different names, and in extreme cases have surgery to alter their appearance to try to avoid detection during their new life in the sun.
“These are serious criminals and there’s nothing glamorous for the victims who’ve been hurt by these individuals, whether that’s people who have unfortunately got themselves addicted to drugs and will be harmed in a great, great many ways by that, or people being subject to frauds and perhaps lost a huge amount of money, maybe their life savings, from some of the individuals here,” Mr Jones said.
“They’ve chosen to operate outside the law and they’ve chosen to leave this country and abuse the hospitality of a close neighbour of ours.”
During the previous Operation Captura appeal, members of the public came forward with information within days.
“[Suspects] shouldn’t feel that they are safe there. But the reason some of them choose Spain is that there are these large communities there, English-speaking, and they feel that they can hide better amongst that fraternity.
“They need to be outside the UK to avoid our attention and they will look for places where they can integrate themselves, and a British expatriate community is ideal for that for them.”
The appeal is set to be officially launched at a press conference in Alicante on Thursday.
It includes Alexsandr Vladimirovich Kuksov, also known as Alexander Kuksov, 23, last known to be living in Tenerife, who is accused of being part of a gang that laundered millions in UK drug dealers’ money by turning it into cryptocurrency, provided the same service in reverse for cyber criminals, and helped Russian oligarchs avoid sanctions by buying property in the UK.
Kevin Thomas Parle, 45, is wanted by Merseyside Police for two murders – those of Liam Kelly in Liverpool in 2004 and Lucy Hargreaves in Walton in 2005. He has links to Malaga and Costa Blanca.
Derek McGraw Ferguson, 62, described as white, 5ft 3ins, stocky and balding, is wanted by Police Scotland for the murder of Thomas Cameron outside a pub in Auchinairn Road, Glasgow, on June 28 2007.
In the past year, 56 criminals have been extradited back to the UK from Spain.
NCA director general operations Rob Jones said: “Fugitives rarely stop offending while on the run.
“They continue to harm communities in both Spain and the UK, and attempt to stay under the radar by blending into large British ex-pat populations.
“These are not people you want in your neighbourhood.”
British ex-pats living in Spain and holidaymakers visiting the country are being encouraged to look at the most wanted list.
Those with information are advised not to approach the suspect or tell them or anyone else if they decide to come forward.
Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers anonymously in the UK on 0800 555 111, and in Spain 900 926 111, which will be answered by Crimestoppers in the UK using translation if required.
Alternatively, members of the public can fill out an anonymous online form at the UK charity’s website https://crimestoppers-uk.org/spain.
