One of the UK's most wanted men has been released from custody by police in Portugal.
Alex Male, 30, of Weston-super-Mare, is alleged to have been a regional distributor of class A drugs across the south west of England, buying and selling them using an encrypted communications network.
He was arrested at Portugal's Lisbon Aiport back in May after arriving into the country on a flight from Turkey, having been placed on the UK National Crime Agency 's (NCA) 'Most Wanted' list three months earlier.
But the NCA confirmed today that Male had now been released from custody in Portugal after a time limit expired.
A spokesperson from the government agency said: “We have been made aware that following a habeas corpus application to Portugal’s Supreme Court, Alex Male’s release was authorised following the expiry of his custody time limit in the country.
“We are liaising with partners in the UK and Portugal to assess the ruling and its implications. UK law enforcement remains determined to find fugitives and return them to face justice.
“Male, 30, and previously of Weston-super-Mare, had been arrested at Lisbon airport in May 2022, but remains wanted in the UK in relation to a South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SW ROCU) investigation into drugs supply.”
They added that the NCA have "strong relationships with law enforcement partners in Portugal" and would continue work with international counterparts to "ensure fugitives are forced to live life looking over their shoulder."
Male is accused of conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine, money laundering and conspiracy to acquire a firearm while conducting a drug dealing operation between April and June 2020.
Male had been on the run since 2020, and was had been hiding out in the Marbella area of Spain before leaving the country.
His arrest earlier this year followed the intervention of Turkish border police, who the NCA praised at the time for their "vigilance and expertise"
The agency said Male had attempted to use fraudulent documentation to travel across international borders.
