A new appeal has been launched to trace and bring to justice 12 of the UK’s most wanted fugitives believed to be hiding in Spain.
The offenders, all men, are wanted for crimes including murder, large-scale drugs trafficking and supplying firearms and ammunition.
The ‘Most Wanted’ campaign of the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) is run in conjunction with independent charity CrimeStoppers, Spanish law enforcement and the UK’s police, and comes on the back of the extremely successful Operation Captura fugitives campaign, which previously resulted in the arrests of 86 offenders.
Spain is one of the most popular countries for British ex-pats and the two nations have a very strong law enforcement partnership.
On Wednesday, Steve Rodhouse the NCA’s Director General of Operations was joined by the Security Minister Rafael Pérez Ruiz of Spain’s Interior Ministry and Mark Hallas, CEO of CrimeStoppers, at the campaign launch in Madrid.
Rodhouse 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.’
‘In 2021, our Spanish partners arrested and returned more than 25 wanted UK fugitives,’ he said. ‘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,’ Rodhouse added. ‘Loyalties change over time and we urge anyone with information about these men to help us find them.’
All the men featured on the campaign are believed to have links to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands.
Among the Most Wanted is Nana Oppong, 41. He is wanted by Essex Police for the drive-by murder of grandfather Robert Powell, 50, who was shot eight times with a 9mm pistol on 13 June 2020. It is alleged that the victim and Powell were from rival criminal factions.
Also wanted is heavily tattooed Jack Mayle, 30, on suspicion of supplying Class A drug MDMA and other drugs. Mayle is suspected of running a drug line in south London and allegedly worked with a dark web drugs supplier.
When he fled, Mayle, who is from Croydon in south London, had a tattooed neck, a diamond tattoo under his left eye and ‘Croydon’ inked on the outside of his left forearm. He may have tried to alter his appearance and is known to carry weapons.
The Most Wanted appeal also features Callum Halpin, 27, who is wanted by Greater Manchester Police for the murder of drug dealer Luke Graham, 31, and the attempted murder of Anton Verigotta.
Graham, a dad-of-two, was ambushed and shot dead in a drugs turf war in broad daylight on a street in Ashton-under-Lyne as children played nearby in June 2018. In July 2019, five men were jailed over the execution.
Two men from Cardiff are wanted by South Wales Police for Class A drugs offences allegedly organised by using the encrypted comms platform EncroChat.
Muscularly built Asim Naveed, 29, and 6ft 2in tall, is accused of playing a leading role in a highly organised crime group (OCG) that trafficked 46 kilos of cocaine into Wales between February and June 2020, worth up to nearly £8m.
Calvin Parris, 32, who has gold upper teeth, is accused of being a customer of Naveed’s OCG and selling cocaine on in Cardiff.
Also, Scotsman James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56, is wanted by the National Crime Agency and Police Scotland over the seizure of approximately one tonne of cocaine and 28 million Etizolam ‘street Valium’ tablets.
The cocaine was found in a shipment at the Port of Dover in September 2020 and the tablets were seized following a raid on a suspected pill factory in Kent in June 2020. Stevenson, who is stocky and has a scar on the left side of his face, is also wanted in connection with two suspected arson attacks on properties in the Lanarkshire and Forth Valley areas in May 2020.
Lord Ashcroft, founder of the charity CrimeStoppers UK said: ‘We know it can be difficult for people to speak up about crime, which is why our charity is here to give you an option. We guarantee you’ll stay completely anonymous, just like the millions of people who have trusted our charity with their crime information since we were formed back in the 1980s.’
‘Please do the right thing by passing on what you know about these fugitives’ whereabouts and help us ensure these criminals are no longer a danger,’ he added.
Sarah Cowley, the UK’s Deputy Head of Mission, said: ‘The Most Wanted campaign is just one example of the successful cooperation that takes place between British and Spanish law enforcement.’
‘We stand united as partners against common threats and challenges, sharing not only expertise but goals and values too. In doing so, we can make both countries safer for citizens,’ she added.
Rafael Pérez Ruiz, Minister for Security of the Spanish Ministry of Interior, said: ‘The campaign allows us to reinforce and strengthen police collaboration between Spain and the UK with the aim of creating a hostile environment which impedes criminal organisations from setting up in Spain and criminals from settling in our cities.’
Anyone with information about one of the Most Wanted is urged to call the freephone Spanish number 900 926 111, which will be answered by CrimeStoppers in the UK (using translation if required). Callers in the UK should call CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Alternatively, members of the public can fill out an anonymous online form at the UK charity’s website: crimestoppers-uk.org/fugitives.
See detailed descriptions of each fugitive below.
The Most Wanted Fugitives
Benjamin Macann
- DOB: 19/08/1989
- Last known address: Halfpenny Lane, Beetley, Dereham, Norfolk
- Wanted by: Norfolk Police
- Date of Incident: 01/04/2020
- Alleged Crime: Wanted for his alleged involvement in the supply of multi kilograms of cocaine in 2020 in which he and accomplices used encrypted handsets.
- Description: Around 5ft 10in tall, suffers from asthma. Blue eyes, left handed, medium build greying hair.
- Links to: Barcelona
Jack Mayle
- DOB: 16/03/1991
- Last known address: Previously of Caterham, Surrey.
- Wanted by: Surrey Police
- Date of Incident: Between 12/08/2019 and 30/07/2020
- Alleged Crime: Supply of MDMA, methylphenidate (a pharmaceutical drug) and diazepam. Mayle fled after being charged. He allegedly ran a drug line in South London and Surrey called the Flavour Quest. He worked with a dark web drug dealer buying and selling drugs between each other for onward sales through their respective drug networks. They sold LSD and various pharmaceutical medication.
- Description: Born in Croydon, around 5ft 11 in tall and muscular. Diamond tattoo under his left eye, and a tattoo on the outside of his left forearm that reads ‘Croydon’. Left hand tattooed with ‘Money never sleeps’, ’12-20’ and a small heart. His right hand has an eye design tattoo with hands around it and word ‘Littles’. On both hands he has tattoos on his fingers reading ‘trap star’. His neck is tattooed with warriors and religious figures on horses. He has a full back tattoo. May have tried to alter his appearance. He is known to carry weapons; is a regular gym goer and vegan.
- Links to: Spain
Callum Halpin
- DOB: 13/12/1994
- Last known address: Beede Street, Openshaw, Manchester
- Wanted by: Greater Manchester Police
- Date of incident: June 2018
- Alleged Crime: Wanted in connection with the murder of Luke Graham and the attempted murder of Anton Verigotta. Halpin was allegedly one of three men who drove to the attack site and took part in the murder.
- Description: Around 6ft tall, of athletic build, fair complexion. Gym goer. Possible lazy eye.
- Links to: Spain and possibly Turkey
Asim Naveed
- DOB: 27/01/1992
- Last known address: Chandlery Way, Butetown, Cardiff and Glenwood, Pentwyn, Cardiff.
- Wanted by: South Wales Police
- Date of incident: Between February 2020 – June 2020
- Alleged Crime: Allegedly had a leading role in a highly organised crime group. Using encrypted comms platform EncroChat, he is accused of acquiring large quantities of cocaine from upstream suppliers and onward distribution through Cardiff and Wales. It is estimated he and his OCG brought 46 kilos of cocaine into Wales during the period worth up to £7,885,680.
- Description: Asian, 6ft 2in tall, muscular build, surgical scar along left wrist.
- Links to: Mainland Spain
Calvin Parris
- DOB: 14/01/1990
- Last known address: addresses in Ely Cardiff; Sully, Cardiff; Barry, Cardiff
- Wanted by: South Wales Police
- Date of incident: Between February 2020 – June 2020
- Alleged Crime: Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Parris is alleged to be a customer of Asim Naveed’s OCG, buying cocaine from them and selling it on within Cardiff. Parris is said to have used an Encro phone to strike deals with the OCG including once buying seven kilos of cocaine for £89,000.
- Description: Black, 5ft 11in, medium build, gold upper teeth.
- Links to: Spain
John James Jones
- DOB: 16/07/1990
- Last known address: Ennerdale Drive, Aughton, Lancashire
- Wanted by: Lancashire
- Location: Overseas possible location Ibiza, Spain
- Description: White, around 6ft all, stocky, dark hair.
- Date of Incident: 28/04/2018
- Alleged Crime: Wanted for wounding with intent, Jones (and a co-accused) allegedly assaulted two people by stabbing them numerous times with a knife causing serious injuries. It is believed Jones fled the UK in the immediate aftermath. There is information to show he stayed at a hotel in Madrid the night after the stabbings but left rapidly the next morning.
- Links to: Possibly Ibiza
Callum Michael Allan
- DOB: 24/06/1998
- Last known address: Lilac Avenue, South Shields
- Wanted by: Northumbria Police
- Description: Around 182cms tall with fine hair, blue eyes, slim build and a Tyneside accent.
- Date of Incident: From October 2017 to June 2019.
- Alleged Crime: Twelve alleged offences include: possession with intent to supply Class A (heroin), supply Class A (cocaine), possession of cannabis, assaulting an emergency worker, affray and dangerous driving. On 11 June 2019 police raided a house suspected to be used for drugs deals. Allan fled and assaulted two officers who restrained him. He was in possession of 113.29 grams of heroin. Allan was charged and appeared at court in April 2020 where he was given unconditional bail and failed to return.
- Links to: Alicante, Marbella.
Dean Garforth
- DOB: 31/10/1992
- Last known address: South Hill Road, Dingle, Liverpool
- Wanted by: Cheshire Police
- Description: Born in Liverpool. About 5ft 6in tall, white, of slim build, brown hair.
- Date of Incident: Between March 2020 and July 2020
- Alleged Crime: Garforth 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.
- Links to: Spain
Joshua Dillon Hendry
- DOB: 01/09/1991
- Last known address: Lochinvar Street, Walton, Liverpool
- Wanted by: Humberside Police
- Description: From Liverpool. 6ft 2in tall.
- Date of Incident: between 01/09/2017 and 21/03/2019
- Alleged Crime: He is accused of being a member of a Liverpool OCG and conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs. It is alleged he trafficked heroin and crack cocaine from Liverpool to Grimsby for onward distribution and controlled the phone line used for this. His mother and brother were convicted as part of the conspiracy. Hendry is also wanted over a separate drugs conspiracy to supply cocaine in May 2018 for which he was sentenced in his absence to 10 years’ imprisonment in March 2019.
- Links to: Spain
Mark Francis Roberts
- DOB: 23/07/1993
- Last known address: Freehold Street, Fairfield, Liverpool
- Wanted by: Merseyside Police
- Description: From Liverpool. White, 6ft 1in tall, of medium build. Has a 7.6cm scar down his right leg. Heavy eyebrows, right handed; green eyes; potential scar on arm obtained during the attempted robbery.
- Date of Incident: 30/09/2016
- Alleged Crime: Grievous Bodily Harm and attempted robbery of a man’s £60,000 Richard Mille watch. The victim was attacked by two men with a blade at around 1.30am on 30 September 2016 after he parked his car on his home driveway. The victim refused to surrender his watch and was so badly injured he suffered life-threatening injuries and was treated in a critical care unit for puncture wounds, a collapsed lung and many lacerations. The victim heard one of the attackers say he’d cut himself in the attack, and Roberts’s blood was later identified at the scene.
- Links to: Scotland, Spain.
James Stevenson
- DOB: 11/04/1965
- Last known address: Fishcoates Gardens, Rutherglen, Glasgow
- Wanted by: The NCA & Police Scotland Organised Crime Partnership.
- Description: White, around 5ft 9in tall, stocky, grey hair, scar left side of face.
- Date of Incident: Between 25/01/2020 – 21/09/2020
- Alleged Crime: The National Crime Agency and Police Scotland want to speak with James Stevenson in connection with multiple offences relating to organised crime in Scotland and the wider United Kingdom, namely in relation to the seizure of approximately one tonne of cocaine found within a shipment of unaccompanied freight arriving at the Port of Dover in September 2020, and in relation to the production and supply of approximately 28 million Etizolam ‘street valium’ tablets, seized following a raid on a suspected pill factory in Kent in June 2020.
- He is also wanted in connection with two suspected wilful fire-raising attacks on properties in the Lanarkshire and Forth Valley areas in May 2020.
- Warning: Members of the public should not approach Stevenson directly but instead are urged to contact the authorities.
- Links to: Barcelona, Alicante
Nana Oppong
- DOB: 28/05/1980
- Last known address: West Road Newham, London
- Wanted by: Essex Police
- Description: Athletic appearance, black. Two circular scars above his right eye. A series of small scars on his left hand and fingers. Stomach scar near naval.
- Date of Incident: 13 June 2020
- Alleged Crime: Wanted in connection with the murder of Robert Powell, 50. Oppong allegedly drove to a party where Powell was present and shot him eight times with a 9mm pistol. Oppong and Powell allegedly belonged to rival criminal networks.
- Links to: Marbella
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