WIREDGOV

One of Britain’s most wanted fugitives was arrested the same day the National Crime Agency and Crimestoppers appealed for help to find him.

Matthew Sammon, aged 45, from London, who was wanted on suspicion of making and possessing indecent photographs of children, was one of ten individuals revealed recently as part of Operation Captura - a multi-agency campaign to locate fugitives on the run in Spain.

Following a tip off from a member of the public, who called both Crimestoppers and the Spanish authorities, Sammon was arrested by the Spanish National Police at a fairground site in Fuengirola at around 8pm where he had been living in a camper van.

Steve Reynolds, Head of International Operations for the NCA, said: “We asked the public to help us find our most wanted fugitives and this early result the same day we launched our campaign shows the system works.



“The Spanish National Police were able to respond quickly to a tip off about Matthew Sammon’s location and he was arrested last night in Fuengirola. As we have always said, Spain is not a safe haven."

Lord Ashcroft KCMG, Founder & Chair of Crimestoppers, commented: "To have seen an arrest made less than 24 hours of the latest Captura appeal simply reinforces what we've said all along - Spain is not the safe haven fugitives think it is.



"I thank the NCA and the Spanish Police for their quick response to the information received, and the public for their continued support of this campaign, which has now seen 77 wanted individuals arrested. That figure, is quite remarkable."

Extradition proceedings are now underway and he appeared at the Spanish National Court in Madrid recently.

Sammon is the 77th fugitive to be arrested out of 96 publicised through Operation Captura.