WIREDGOV

The National Crime Agency (NCA) and independent UK crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers are once again seeking Britain’s most wanted fugitives.

This new appeal is the latest to be launched under Operation Captura – a multi-agency campaign to track down individuals believed to be evading capture by hiding among ex-pat communities in Spain.

The ten fugitives added to the list are wanted by UK law enforcement agencies in connection with crimes including rape, indecent assault of a child and drug trafficking.

This is the ninth Operation Captura appeal to be made since 2006, and the previous eight have so far resulted in 65 out of 76 wanted fugitives being apprehended.

Drugs lord Stephen Blundell was one of the most recent individuals to be found. The 36-year-old, from Merseyside, had fled the UK before being sentenced for a £1 million heroin plot. He handed himself in to authorities in Tenerife.

Hank Cole, Head of International Operations for the National Crime Agency, said: “Spain is not a safe haven for British fugitives. The NCA and its partners will continue to pursue these individuals relentlessly and return them to the UK to face justice. Sixty-five fugitives on the Captura list have been caught, along with many more fugitives linked to other operations.

“The exceptional level of collaboration and intelligence sharing with the Spanish authorities has been vital to these arrests. However, we still need the support of the public. Be our eyes and ears and tell us if you have any information on the whereabouts of our targets.”

Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC, the Founder and Chair of Crimestoppers, said: “Operation Captura has proved a huge success since it was launched in 2006 and the majority of individuals on our most wanted list have been captured.

“However, there are still a number of criminals who are evading arrest. We must ensure these individuals are brought to justice. We are confident that we can successfully hunt them down with support from the Spanish authorities, as well as the Spanish and UK public.”

Crimestoppers and the NCA work closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Madrid and with British and Spanish law enforcement agencies as part of the campaign.

Information given to Crimestoppers can help locate the fugitives on the Captura list. For those people calling from Spain there is a special freephone Spanish 900 555 111 telephone number which will be answered in the UK by Crimestoppers’ call agents. A translation service is available upon request.

People can also pass on information anonymously via the Crimestoppers website or by calling 0800 555 111.