One of the UK’s most wanted men has been arrested after trying to fly to Portugal using a fraudulent passport.
Alex Male, 29, of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, is alleged to have been a regional distributor of class A drugs across the south-west of England, using an EncroChat encrypted communications network.
He was detained at Lisbon airport after arriving on a flight from Turkey where he had been refused entry, according to the National Crime Agency.
Male, who was added to the NCA’s most-wanted list in January, is accused of conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine, money laundering and conspiracy to acquire a firearm as part of his alleged drug-dealing activity between April and June 2020.
He had been on the run after failing to adhere to the bail restrictions imposed after his arrest and was previously thought to be in the Marbella area of Spain before moving to Portugal.
The NCA international liaison officer, Phil Robinson, said: “Male naively believed he could travel across international borders using fraudulent documentation and remain undetected by law enforcement. But he underestimated the vigilance and expertise of the Turkish border police, which enabled the Portuguese authorities to act.
“Any arrest of a fugitive is a fantastic result, even more so since Male had only recently been added to our most-wanted list.
“He is wanted in connection with dangerous crimes, which have a devastating impact on communities, so I’m delighted he has been caught. We continue to work with our international partners to close the net around fugitives, no matter where they are.”
Male, who was initially detained at Lisbon airport on Saturday, remains in custody and will face extradition proceedings.
DI Adrian Hawkins of the south-west regional organised crime unit said: “Male will now be returned to the criminal justice system in the UK to face the charges he ran away from. This is an example of international law enforcement working together to ensure justice can be done and demonstrating there is nowhere safe to hide.”
The NCA is the UK’s lead agency against serious and organised crime.
