Merseyside criminals were today warned “Spain is not a safe haven” as a new fugitive-hunting campaign was launched.
Four men with links to the region were among a dozen suspects today identified as potentially being on the run in the country.
While they have evaded justice so far, a number of recent high-profile swoops suggest lying low on the Costa del Sol and elsewhere may be harder than ever.
READ MORE: UK's most wanted fugitives named as detectives take hunt to Spain
The most prominent criminal from Merseyside to be arrested in Spain and brought back for prosecution recently is Dominic McInally.
The Formby drugs gang boss was on the run for six years before he was caught in a strip club near Marbella in 2020.
Last year McInally was jailed after a Liverpool Crown Court jury convicted him of drugs offences.
He was part of Operation Captura, a Crimestoppers and National Crime Agency campaign that saw 86 fugitives thought to have been hiding in Spain brought back to the UK.
The high-publicity initiative saw suspects’ faces plastered on advertising boards and, in some cases, driven around the areas in which they were believed to be attempting to lie low.
More than a dozen men who went on to be caught were from Merseyside.
Avoiding a high-profile manhunt is not always enough to evade justice.
As the number of outstanding fugitives named in Captura dwindled, the NCA and Spanish Police continued to track down men on European Arrest Warrants.
Knife thug Anthony Murphy, previously of Upton, hid out in Benidorm after slashing three people in a Liverpool nightclub.
He was eventually jailed for 12 years and 11 months after admitting wounding with intent and other offences.
Wirral drug dealer Peter Atherton was arrested in Seville on a European Arrest Warrant in 2017.
He was captured at the 3-3 Champions League group stage draw between Sevilla and Liverpool after being unable to resist the temptation of watching the Reds.
He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for 18 years and nine months.
The hunt for murderer Shaun Walmsley, who escaped a prison guard while on a medical visit to Aintree Hospital, also led to Merseyside Police gains in Spain as they chased down criminal intelligence.
Efforts to trace Walmsley - ultimately found in Leeds - led to a breakthrough in the hunt for drug dealer Mark Forster.
He was arrested in Spain, extradited and, in 2017, the then 30-year-old was handed a six year, eight month sentence after Liverpool Crown Court heard the gang he was part of ruled with fear and violence from their Anfield heartland.
Late last year Robert Brazendale, linked to a gun deal involving a Skorpion, an Uzi and a revolver, admitted conspiring to transfer prohibited weapons after being caught in Spain.
Brazendale, from Warrington, also had guns buried in his back garden.
He faced court after being caught in Estepona in 2020.
Despite the success in catching British fugitives in Spain, the country remains a popular destination for those on the run. The Netherlands is also a traditional hiding spot, though an increasing number of suspects are fleeing to Dubai.
Launching the latest campaign, Steve Rodhouse, the NCA’s Director General of Operations, said: “Spain is not a safe haven.
“We have a brilliant relationship with the country’s various law enforcement agencies and work together daily to protect the public.
“With 86 offenders arrested in our last fugitives campaign, criminals know we will never give up and we’re never far behind them.
“Our Spanish partners were crucial to many of those arrests, and in 2021 arrested and returned more than 25 wanted UK fugitives.
“The NCA’s International Crime Bureau and International Liaison Officers work on behalf of UK policing to exchange information and intelligence with partners abroad leading to the tracing and arrests of criminals globally.
“Fugitives usually continue offending while on the run and these men will be known in criminal circles wherever they are.
“The last thing the fugitives’ associates will want is the combined determination and capabilities of the UK and Spanish law enforcement focusing on them.
“Many of these fugitives will be trying to blend in to the large British communities who have made their homes in Spain, and if you are resident, you may know one of them from your town or village.
“Loyalties change over time and we urge anyone with information about these men to help us find them.”
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