A Scottish man listed among the United Kingdom’s most wanted fugitives has been arrested in Madrid after Spanish police tracked him down following a lengthy cross-border investigation into a series of alleged sexual offences.
John Rocks, 37, who was wanted by Police Scotland in connection with alleged sexual offences said to have taken place between August 2012 and October 2022, was detained on a central Madrid street on 1 August after investigators spent around two years trying to establish his whereabouts.
Spanish authorities said the investigation began in 2024 after receiving information from British police that Rocks may have fled to Spain. Early enquiries focused on Benidorm, where officers carried out repeated surveillance operations and checks at locations he was believed to frequent.
According to Spain’s National Police, the investigation proved particularly difficult because Rocks allegedly adopted an itinerant lifestyle, frequently changed locations, concealed his identity and relied on measures designed to avoid detection. Officers also identified people who may have been helping him while piecing together his movements and behavioural patterns.
Investigators eventually received intelligence suggesting he had travelled to Madrid, prompting officers to launch a surveillance operation in the Spanish capital.
When officers approached him, Rocks was reportedly wearing a cap and sunglasses in an apparent attempt to disguise his appearance. Police said he refused to cooperate during the identification process, carried no identification documents and gave officers several different personal details.
However, investigators were initially able to identify him by comparing his visible tattoos before fingerprint analysis definitively confirmed he was the man wanted by the British authorities.
Spanish police said: ‘National police officers have arrested JR, 37, in Madrid, who was wanted by the British authorities for several sexual assault offences.’
They added: ‘The investigation began in 2024 after a communication was received from the UK police reporting several sexual assault offences committed between 2012 and 2022.’
Explaining the lengthy investigation, police said: ‘The efforts to locate the target included several trips to Benidorm, as well as numerous surveillance operations and on-site checks at places he was known to frequent. These actions made it possible to establish behaviour patterns, obtain clues about his possible whereabouts, and identify third parties who might have been helping him. The investigation proved especially complex due to the concealment measures adopted by the wanted man.
‘The information gathered revealed that he was leading an itinerant lifestyle and concealing his true identity. Finally, on August 1, 2026, after indications emerged that he might be in Madrid, a surveillance operation was set up on a central street in the capital.’
British authorities have not disclosed how many alleged victims are involved, the precise charges Rocks faces, or where the alleged offences took place. They have said only that he is wanted by Police Scotland in connection with alleged sex offences, some of which are understood to have involved women who were reportedly in a relationship with him at the time.
An international arrest warrant seeking his extradition was issued in February 2026, allowing Spanish authorities to intensify efforts to locate him. Three months later, Rocks was included in a renewed National Crime Agency (NCA) and Crimestoppers campaign highlighting 12 of the UK’s most wanted fugitives believed to have links to Spain or suspected of hiding there. ALSO READ: UK launches new hunt for 12 most wanted fugitives believed to be hiding in Spain.
His arrest marks the 101st made under Operation Captura, the long-running joint initiative between British and Spanish law enforcement agencies, launched 20 years ago to trace UK fugitives believed to have fled to Spain. The programme involves the NCA, Crimestoppers, Spain’s National Police, the Guardia Civil and other law enforcement partners.
Rick Jones, NCA’s deputy director international, said: ‘This arrest marks the 101st arrest in Operation Captura, a multi-agency campaign aimed at tracking down the UK’s most wanted individuals in Spain.’
‘I pay tribute to the excellent work of our colleagues in the Spanish National Police who made this possible. Working with them, and other law enforcement partners, we are determined to do all we can to ensure fugitives are returned to face the courts.’
Rocks appeared before a court in Madrid following his arrest and remains in custody while the Spanish judicial authorities consider his extradition to the United Kingdom.
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🚩Detenido uno de los criminales más buscados por las autoridades británicas por varias agresiones sexuales
— Policía Nacional (@policia) August 5, 2026
➡️Figuraba en la campaña The UK´s most wanted fugitives
🗓️ Los hechos se cometieron entre 2012 y 2022
📍Inicialmente se le situaba en #Benidorm, pero las… pic.twitter.com/gg7GhcSUQk
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