The takedown of a criminal network operating across Spain's Costa del Sol could provide vital momentum to a stalled murder enquiry on the streets of Liverpool.
The Malaga and Marbella areas are a regular hide-out for Merseyside fugitives on the run from the police in the UK, but the criminal expat fraternity in recent years are known for doing more than lying low.
Toxteth man Jason Curry, now 27, was circulated as wanted after 18-year-old Yusuf Sonko was murdered on Tagus Street, off Lodge Lane in Toxteth, on Friday, June 2, 2017. Yusuf was standing with a group of friends at around 8.30pm when he was struck in the head by a bullet, fired by a gunman on a bicycle.
At the time detectives said Yusuf was hit by one of around five shots fired from a 9mm handgun. No-one else was wounded in the incident.
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Despite a £20,000 reward for information and eight arrests, no-one has yet been charged with his murder. The shooting caused devastation in L8 and Yusuf's grief-stricken parents, Khadija and Papice Sonko, have persistently pleaded for those who know what happened to come forward.
In the weeks after the murder, armed response officers from North Wales Police raided two Wrexham properties in 24 hours after suggestions Curry may have links to the town. But Curry stayed hidden for around three years, until news filtered back that he had been picked up by the Spanish Guardia Civil after an attempted robbery which involved a 74-year-old British ex-pat being shot in the leg in El Chapparel, near Malaga.
What happened next is unclear, but it seems as if Curry was released while investigations continued, because he was further arrested on suspicion of firearms and drugs charges in the Malaga region in May last year. According to a spokesman for the Junta de Andalucía, Curry had been charged in two separate cases being tried in the Malaga Court system.
The spokesman said he was convicted of drug trafficking and possession of firearms in November last year, in relation to the Coín offences. According to the spokesman, the sentence is still in the process of being "translated and notified" and is not publicly available yet.
However he is still awaiting a trial, with a hearing scheduled for May 10, for the alleged offences of robbery with intimidation, illegal possession of weapons, drug trafficking and resisting police. A trial had been scheduled for February this year but had to be postponed due to a lawyer involved falling ill. The spokesman said Curry is jointly accused with two other men, named only as Wayde M. and Elliot B.
The facts of the cases have not yet been provided by the Spanish authorities. So far, it does not appear any extradition proceedings are underway in relation to the murder of Yusuf, but the ECHO understands the Spanish authorities tend to deal with their own cases before considering extradition requests.
Merseyside Police declined to comment on Curry's status or whether contact had been made with the Spanish. However Detective Chief Inspector Jude Blease continued to appeal for information on the horrific shooting.
She said: "We have made significant progress with the investigation since that tragic night in 2017 and we continue to explore different lines of enquiries. We remain as determined as ever to bring justice to Yusuf’s family and to put those responsible before the courts.
“We have made significant progress with the investigation and continue to provide Yusuf’s family with support. A number of men remain under investigation but we’re convinced there are people living in L8 and beyond who hold vital information that will help us bring justice for Yusuf and his family.
"Time is no barrier to our enquiries. We understand that people may have had loyalties at the time that they felt prevented them from coming forward, but with the passage of time may now feel more able to speak out. I urge those people to do the right thing and help a family still so desperate for answers.
"If you have heard anything, witnessed the shooting itself, saw groups of young males running in the Lodge Lane area just before 8.30pm on Friday 2 June, or saw two males on pedal bikes in the area before or after, please get in touch.
"Any piece of detail, however small, could be a huge step forward for us all, so please don’t assume what you know is trivial, unimportant or already known to police. If you have any information, please come forward."
Speaking in 2018, Yusuf's heartbroken family issues a plea for information to help them see justice done. In a statement, they said: "My family is broken, our hearts are broken, we will never be able to celebrate with Yusuf any more birthdays or festivals, we will never know what his future life would have brought him, and we will never see him grow into a mature man, to see him fall in love.
“We are appealing to you mother to mother, father to father, sister and brother, please help us, please come forward with information."
Anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the area at the time, or has any information is urged to contact Merseyside Police via 101, the force's social media desk @MerPolCC on Twitter, or alternatively leave information anonymously and for free with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, with reference number 0517135977. You can also use their online form anonymously: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/give-information-online.
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