SPAIN, UNITED KINGDOM AND CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION

Increasingly, crime in other countries has an impact on the UK and although Crimestoppers has no formal mandate to act outside of the country, the charity does work on projects that can help to reduce crime in the UK.

For years, Spain has been an appealing hideaway for British criminals attempting to evade capture. But a change in 2004 with the introduction of European Arrest Warrants, has made it much easier to take British criminals back to face justice.

Well now, the end of the era when British criminals on the run can find sanctuary on Spain’s southern ‘Costas’ is in sight, Home Office security minister James Brokenshire and Spanish Security Minister Francisco Martínez Vázquez jointly declared at a meeting in London.

The ministers reviewed recent successes under Operation Captura, the seven-year campaign run jointly by the National Crime Agency and the UK Crimestoppers charity.

Through concerted publicity activity and public information, together with tough enforcement action, 56 of the 76 drug dealers, violent robbers and sex offenders on the run have been arrested and brought to justice in the UK. All have been the subject of European Arrest warrants (EAW).

Recent figures show that between April 2009 and April 2013, 130 offenders were sent back to the UK from Spain and 377 from the rest of Europe. Among those dispatched, there were 27 rapists, 44 murderers and 63 charged with sexual abuse offences against minors. Some of them would not have been able to be extradited to the UK if it were not for the EAW.

Moreover, the European Arrest Warrant and delivery has enabled the UK to extradite to Spain a number of individuals wanted for his connection to the terrorist organization ETA or Al Qaeda, notably Farid Hilali, Inigo Albisu María Hernández, Zigor Ruiz Jaso and Ana Isabel Lopez Monge.

In addition, the police and judicial cooperation between Spain and the United Kingdom has been extended to other areas such as asset recovery, an area in which the Secretary of State for Security is hoping to organize a conference to be held in Madrid next year, the objective of which is the exchange of good practices in this specific area, an issue of concern to both countries.

The detection and seizure of assets is an effective tool in the fight against international organized crime allowing police forces to actively cooperate to detect, seize and recover the assets of criminal origin that have been shipped abroad and laundered so as to be out of the reach of justice.

The ministers also looked ahead to the UK’s integration in October 2014 to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II). SIS II is a European computer network which will make it easier and more efficient for police forces and officers at borders across Europe to share information in real time about criminals, their vehicles and documents. So, as well as helping the police in the UK to arrest criminals on the run in Europe, it will also improve other countries’ ability to identify foreign offenders hiding in the UK.

In a joint statement, the ministers said:
"With over three quarters of Britain’s most wanted in Spain arrested over the last five years, the message is clear: there is no hiding place for criminals on the run. This is good for both our countries.

"The efforts of our police and security agencies, supported by the excellent work of Crimestoppers and the Operation Captura campaign, have had a substantial effect. It’s a great example of cross-border policing and security cooperation in action. We are determined that it will continue and determined to work together even more closely to deprive criminals of the proceeds of their crimes, by recovering their assets.

"We look forward to strengthening and deepening our cooperation next year with the UK connecting to SIS II. It offers a powerful new means of sharing information on wanted criminals between our police and other law enforcement agencies quickly and accurately. It will help us build on achievements to date and turn up the heat on any fugitives still at large."

The names of the latest batch of criminals discussed by the two ministers and thought to be living in Spain:

Stephen BLUNDELL wanted for the conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, and convicted for being principal organiser of his own heroin supply chain.
Daniel BOWES is wanted alongside Christopher MEALY for the suspected importation of cocaine from the Netherlands between March 2011 and January 2012.

Daniel DUGIC is wanted for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to import 255kg of cocaine into the UK with an estimated street value of £53 million.

David HEWSON was sentenced to eleven years and one month in prison in December 2012 for his involvement in a number of drug offences in the Liverpool area. After pleading guilty to the charges against him, he absconded before he was sentenced in his absence.

Robert KNIGHT is believed to be part of a gang who attempted to import 6kg of cocaine through Heathrow Airport in a package originating from the Dominican Republic in 2008. Five other people involved were arrested and charged but Knight remains at large.

David MATHER is wanted for £500,000 worth of drug offences. He has been convicted in his absence to serve 18 years in prison after 32 wrapped packages of heroin were found within the bumper of a lorry stopped at the Humber sea terminal in May 2010.

Michael McCARTNEY was convicted of committing sexual offences against three young males under the age of 16 over a number of years. McCartney was found guilty of these offences in March 2013 but he failed to appear in court for sentencing and is believed to have fled to Spain.

Christopher MEALY is wanted alongside Daniel BOWES for the suspected importation of cocaine from the Netherlands between March 2011 and January 2012.

Robert MORTBY is accused of being involved in the attempted murder of Richard Walsh in London in July 2012.

Image: Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Martínez in London with his British counterpart, James Brokenshire.

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/42028/

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