A fresh appeal was launched on Thursday to track down 12 of the UK’s most wanted fugitives who are believed to be either hiding in Spain or linked to the country.
The men are sought over a range of serious offences, including murder, drug trafficking and money laundering.
All men featured in this year’s campaign are believed to have links to Spain including areas such as Tenerife, Marbella, Alicante and Malaga.
The latest list has been unveiled as ‘Operation Captura’ marks its 20th anniversary. The long-running multi-agency initiative has led to the arrest of 98 fugitives from the 111 who have been publicly identified since the campaign began.
The National Crime Agency’s Most Wanted campaign is carried out in partnership with the independent charity Crimestoppers, the Spanish Interior Ministry, Spanish police forces and UK law enforcement agencies.
Spain remains one of the most popular destinations for British ex-pats, with authorities in both countries maintaining close cooperation on policing and security matters.
The campaign was officially launched in Alicante, where NCA Director General of Operations Rob Jones was joined by Sarah Cowley, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy, Francisco Javier Marín Lizarraga, Director of Spain’s Centre for Intelligence against Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO), senior officers from the Guardia Civil and Spanish National Police, and Crimestoppers chief executive Mark Hallas.
Speaking at the launch, Rob Jones said: ‘As we mark the 20th anniversary of Operation Captura, our message is very clear. Spain is not a safe haven for fugitives and this partnership has shown time and again that if you run, we will not stop looking. We will find you, and we will bring you back to face justice.’
‘Fugitives rarely stop offending while on the run,’ he said. ‘They continue to harm communities in both Spain and the UK, and attempt to stay under the radar by blending into large British ex-pat populations. These are not people you want in your neighbourhood.’
‘Thanks to the strength of our relationship with Spanish law enforcement partners, and the combined determination and capabilities we are able to exploit, 90% of the individuals we have featured in Operation Captura have been located over the past two decades,’ he said.
‘Today, we are asking for the public’s help once more. Loyalties change, time moves on. If you have any information that could help us, now is the time to come forward.’
Francisco Javier Marín Lizarraga, director of CITCO, from the Spanish Ministry of Interior, said: ‘Pursuing a fugitive is a way of recognising the victims. It is an act of justice for the victims, because it means empathising with their loss and suffering. Every open case keeps that harm alive. That is why persistence in the search is, in itself, a form of recognition.’
‘Cooperation in this field is essential,’ he added. ‘Spain and the United Kingdom are a well-established example of effective collaboration. Decades of joint work between our law enforcement agencies have shown that sharing information, coordinating efforts, and building mutual trust delivers results, even in complex legal contexts.’
The Most Wanted
Among the Most Wanted is Simon Dutton, 49, who is wanted for a re-call to prison. He was sentenced for organising large-scale importations of cocaine and money laundering, with one interception being valued at £1.5 million. Dutton has the name ‘Rachel’ tattooed on his left arm and has scars on his chin, left hand and right leg.
Dean Eighteen, 48, is wanted for submitting false VAT repayment claims on behalf of two companies of which he is the sole director. Eighteen is a white male and is believed to have left the UK in January 2019.
Also wanted is Derek McGraw Ferguson, 62, in connection with the murder of Thomas Cameron which took place in Glasgow in 2007. Ferguson is likely to be living under an alias and has featured in previous campaigns. He remains one of Police Scotland’s Most Wanted fugitives and age-progressed images of Ferguson are available on the NCA’s Most Wanted website.
Philip Barry Foster, 50, is wanted to begin his eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence for fraud and money laundering. His victims parted with substantial amounts of money for poor quality photos, on the promise of gaining professional modelling work.
Another person wanted is 23-year-old Russian national Alexsandr Kuksov. He is accused of being involved with an organised crime group that laundered multi-millions of pounds of criminal cash between September and October 2022. Kuksov is stocky with mousy brown hair. He was added to the Most Wanted list in January 2026.
Heavily tattooed Spencer Dillon Lamb, 33, is wanted for supplying and cultivating drugs. Lamb has multiple tattoos across his head, neck, arms and abdomen, as well as a scar under his left eye.
Wanted for his involvement in the supply of cocaine, cannabis and possessing criminal cash is Liam Michael Murray. The 34-year-old white male has a medium build and a North-East accent.
Francis David Parker, 40, is believed to be a proactive member of the Coggins organised crime group (OCG). He is wanted for directing drug couriers and collecting money on behalf of the OCG. He is stocky with short brown and grey hair.
Kevin Thomas Parle is wanted in relation to the murders of Liam Kelly in 2004 and Lucy Hargreaves in 2005. The 45-year-old has red hair and has featured in previous campaigns. He is believed to have links to southern Spain.
Matthew Purves, 41, is wanted for his involvement in a conspiracy to supply multiple kilos of cocaine across the UK. Purves is 6ft tall with cropped auburn hair and is believed to have links to southern Spain as well as Corby and Peterborough.
John Rocks, 37, is accused of committing sexual offences between 2012 and 2022. He is a white British male with a slim build and fair hair.
And finally, Charlie Salisbury, who is wanted on suspicion of supplying cocaine and laundering the proceeds of the crimes. The 34-year-old, who was also a user of EncroChat, has a tattoo of a koi carp and a dragon on his entire right arm, as well as tattoos on his lower right leg.
Anyone with information about one of the Most Wanted is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously in the UK on 0800 555 111, and callers in Spain should call the freephone Spanish number 900 926 111, which will be answered by Crimestoppers in the UK (using translation if required).
Alternatively, members of the public can fill out an anonymous online form at the UK charity’s website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/spain.
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Lanzamos junto a @policia @guardiacivil @interiorgob @nca_uk una campaña para llevar ante la justicia a los fugitivos más buscados de🇬🇧 #UKMostWanted2026 que se cree, se esconden en 🇪🇸 Si tienes alguna pista contacta de forma anónima con @CrimestoppersUK https://t.co/x2iJDxTnX0 pic.twitter.com/V3sQchQJA7
— UK in Spain (@ukinspain) May 14, 2026
A new appeal has launched to bring to justice 12 of the #UKMostWanted2026 believed to be hiding in Spain.
The offenders are wanted for crimes including murder, supplying class A drugs and fraud.
Anyone with info should contact @CrimestoppersUK anonymously.
MORE ➡️… pic.twitter.com/0fr7zmrYlN
— National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) May 14, 2026
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