Dangerous British fugitive facing life sentence arrested on Spain’s Costa Blanca

A “dangerous” British fugitive who was about to go on a Most Wanted list has been arrested near Spain’s Costa Blanca.

The 27-year-old is accused of serious offences including using firearms against people and drug trafficking and faces a possible life sentence according to Spanish police.

He was held by a police unit specialising in tracking down on-the-run criminals in Algorfa near Alicante.

Spain’s National Police, which released footage of armed officers taking the unnamed fugitive into custody, said in a long statement: “National Police officers have successfully concluded a significant police operation that led to the location and arrest of a dangerous 27-year-old British fugitive wanted by the authorities of the United Kingdom.

“This action demonstrates the high effectiveness of the specialised units of the Alicante Provincial Judicial Police Brigade in locating international criminals who attempt to evade justice by hiding in Spanish territory.

“The success of this arrest is the result of close and smooth international cooperation between the National Police and UK authorities.

“This intelligence sharing revealed that the suspect was subject to an International Arrest Warrant that had been in force since June for drug trafficking offences.

“The arrested man is of the highest importance to the UK, being considered one of its primary criminal targets, to the extent that his immediate inclusion on the country's ‘Most wanted’ list was being processed.

“The acts for which he was wanted were committed between 2023 and 2024.

“The fugitive was part of an organised group dedicated to the distribution of cocaine, cannabis, and heroin, and continued committing crimes while on provisional release.

“Given the information received about the individual's extreme dangerousness, as he is accused of serious offences involving the use of firearms against people and posed a high flight risk due to the possibility of a life sentence, officers designed a special operation with all security measures maximised.

“After several days of intensive investigative work to determine the fugitive's whereabouts, investigators identified his possible hideout in the town of Algorfa in the province of Alicante.

“A search and arrest operation was then carried out, allowing officers to intercept and immediately arrest him near his home, without him being able to offer effective resistance due to the speed of the police deployment.”

It was not immediately clear this morning if the unnamed Brit has already appeared before an extradition judge and whether he has indicated he will consent to a forced return to the UK or will try to fight it.