One of the UK's most wanted men was captured and arrested in the Costa del Sol after being found hiding in Marbella.
Spanish police have confirmed Dean Garforth, 30, previously of South Hill Road in Dingle, a suspected drugs and weapons trafficker, injured two officers in a bid to escape them. He reportedly left his hideaway in Marbella on an electric bike when he was suddenly apprehended by authorities.
He was held on an International Arrest Warrant as well as suspicion of resisting arrest. Garforth was one of the 12 men named in a National Crime Agency and Spanish police appeal in January.
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They were described at the time as Britain’s most wanted suspects thought to be hiding in Spain. Convicted drug trafficker Joshua Hendry was held 24 hours after the appeal was made. He was arrested in San Pedro de Alcantara near Marbella after being recognised by an off-duty Spanish officer.
Hendry, 31, from Walton, Liverpool, was extradited and jailed for five years and three months at Sheffield Crown Court in April after pleading guilty to supply heroin and crack cocaine and to a charge of absconding.
That was on top of the 10-year sentence he was given in 2020 when he was convicted in his absence of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Hendry began serving his original sentence after his extradition and was charged with additional drug offences as part of the same investigation and with absconding.
Confirming Monday’s arrest in Marbella, a spokesperson for Spain’s National Police said: “National Police officers have arrested one of the fugitives included in the UK’S Most Wanted list. He is Dean Garforth, aged, 30, who was the subject of an International Arrest Warrant issued by the British authorities for crimes of drug and weapons trafficking.”
The spokesman added: “Garforth was living on a residential estate in Marbella where he tried to go unnoticed among a large British expat community. He took great care with regards to his security and hardly went out, but was apprehended when he left his home wearing sunglasses and a cap on an electric bike.
“During his attempted identification, he rammed one of them with his bicycle and injured two police officers. He was arrested on foot of the International Arrest Warrant and on suspicion of a crime of resisting arrest and disobedience."
Footage of the moments after his arrest, also released by Spanish police, showed him being led away in handcuffs wearing a dark top and black shorts. Garforth is now facing extradition to the UK.
The National Crime Agency said about Garforth in their appeal at the start of the year: “He is allegedly involved in a well-established Organised Crime Group supplying significant quantities of cocaine and cannabis and involved in trading firearms and ammunition.
“It is alleged he used the now defunct encrypted comms platform EncroChat to facilitate these offences in and around the North West of England and that his OCG also adulterated the drugs before moving them on.”
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