Notorious crook Curtis Warren has been arrested after he allegedly breached terms of his Serious Crime Prevention Order.
National Crime Agency officers conducted the raid at 6am on Wednesday July 5 and discovered the 60-year-old at a location in Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside, reports the Daily Mirror.
He is currently being questioned in custody over alleged breaches of the Serious Crime Prevention Order which came into force when he was released from prison after 14 years in November.
The NCA said the breaches “relate to the unauthorised use of mobile phones, vehicles, bank accounts and travel”.
The terms of his Serious Crime Prevention Order restrict him from using WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger or buying cryptocurrency.
The agreed conditions also prevent him from travelling in a friend's car without letting a police handler know at least a day in advance or going to Scotland.
Further searches were carried out by NCA officers at the location in Boldon and another address in the Royal Albert Dock area of Liverpool.
The NCA confirmed that mobile devices, documents and a quantity of cash were seized, and are now being examined by investigators.
They were supported in the operation by officers from Merseyside Police and the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit.
Warren’s former barrister Anthony Barraclough confirmed he was the man arrested.
Barraclough said: “I can confirm that he was arrested at 6am this morning. Any breaches will be minor transgressions.
“These will be very fine interpretations of restrictions I anticipate. I imagine he was in Tyneside to visit friends.
“He is allowed to travel and have mobile phones, bank accounts and up to £1,000 in cash. He can travel abroad if he gives seven days notice. If he is going to be away from home he needs permission and he has had permission.
“I have not spoken to him yet as he is in custody.”
Alison Abbott, from the NCA’s Lifetime Management of Offenders Team, said: “These court orders are vital tools for preventing and deterring future offending. Once criminals come onto our radar, they never leave, and the NCA will take action over breaches.”
Breach of a serious crime prevention order is a criminal offence that can carry a a maximum sentence of five years, an unlimited fine, or both.
After spending most of the last 25 years inside Warren was released in November of last year.
Officers had been keeping a close eye on the man nicknamed the "Cocky Watchman."
Warren, who at one point had an estimated fortune of £300million, has served several jail terms for drug smuggling.
He was arrested by undercover police in 2007 just days after being released from jail for a previous offence.
Warren is on a list of individuals who have been issued with serious crime prevention orders.
Warren, who did not speak any foreign languages and had a limited education, managed to successfully negotiate with dealers across the world, from Colombia to Turkey.
By having a remarkable memory it meant that he was able to avoid incriminating himself by putting pen to paper.
While living in Holland, Warren failed to appreciate phone wire-taps could be used in evidence, unlike in the UK.
This led to him serving a 10-year jail sentence, and again in 2007 he was snared in Jersey through taped phone calls where he talked about what he stood to gain from a drug deal.
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