Britain's 12 most wanted hiding in Spain including suspected hitmen and drug smugglers

19 January 2022, 10:54 | Updated: 19 January 2022, 11:22

Details have been released of 12 of the UK's most wanted fugitives who are believed to be hiding in Spain over crimes including murder, drive-by shootings and drug-dealing.

A bid to trace them has been launched by Britain's FBI, the National Crime Agency (NCA), after a previous campaign led to 86 arrests.

The NCA is warning Spain is 'not a safe haven'.

They want to bring to justice 12 of the UK’s most wanted – men accused of crimes including murder, large scale drugs trafficking and supplying firearms and ammunition.

The NCA has launched the campaign in conjunction with independent charity Crimestoppers, Spanish and UK police.

The NCA campaign is being launched today in cooperation with partners in Spain.

Steve Rodhouse the NCA’s Director General of Operations was joined by the Security Minister Rafael Pérez Ruiz of Spain’s Interior Ministry, British Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliot and Mark Hallas, CEO of CrimeStoppers, at the campaign launch in Madrid.

Mr Rodhouse said: “Spain is not a safe haven. We have a brilliant relationship with the country’s various law enforcement agencies and work together daily to protect the public.

“With 86 offenders arrested in our last fugitives campaign, criminals know we will never give up and we’re never far behind them.

“Our Spanish partners were crucial to many of those arrests, and in 2021 arrested and returned more than 25 wanted UK fugitives.

“The NCA’s International Crime Bureau and International Liaison Officers work on behalf of UK policing to exchange information and intelligence with partners abroad leading to the tracing and arrests of criminals globally.

“Fugitives usually continue offending while on the run and these men will be known in criminal circles wherever they are."

Here is a list of the 12 most wanted UK fugitives thought to be hiding in Spain or on one of the Spanish islands:

Benjamin Macann, 32, whose last known address was in Beetley in Norfolk, is wanted by police in the county for allegedly being involved in a cocaine dealing gang. He is white, 5ft 10in, has blue eyes and greying hair, and suffers from asthma. He has links to Barcelona.

Jack Mayle, 30, from Croydon, south London, allegedly sold substances including class A drug MDMA via a phone line in south London called the Flavour Quest, and on the dark web. The vegan gym regular, whose last known address was in Caterham, Surrey, is white, around 5ft 11in and muscular. He is heavily tattooed - his neck is covered with warriors and religious figures on horses, and he has a full back tattoo. He has a diamond shape under his left eye, "Croydon" tattooed on the outside of his left forearm, and his hands are also covered in images. His left hand has the words "Money never sleeps", "12-20" and a small heart, while his right is decorated with a design featuring an eye and hands, and the word "Littles". On both hands he has tattoos on his fingers reading "trap star".

Callum Halpin, 27, is wanted by Greater Manchester Police for the 2018 murder of rival drug dealer Luke Graham, 31, in a turf war, and the attempted murder of Anton Verigotta. His last known address was in Beede Street, Openshaw, Manchester, and he is white, around 6ft, athletic, with a fair complexion. The NCA said he may have a lazy eye. He has links to Spain and possibly Turkey.

Asim Naveed, 29, who is muscular and 6ft 2in, is accused of being the leader of a drug smuggling gang that brought 46kg of cocaine, worth nearly £8 million, into Wales between February and June 2020. His last known addresses were in Butetown and Pentwyn, Cardiff. Naveed, who is described as Asian, has a surgical scar along his left wrist.

Calvin Parris, 32, who has gold upper teeth, is accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it in the Welsh capital. His last known addresses were in Ely, Sully and Barry in Cardiff. He is black and around 5ft 11in.

John James Jones, 31, was last known to have lived in the UK in Aughton, Lancashire. He is wanted for allegedly stabbing two victims multiple times, causing serious injuries. It is thought that Jones, who is white, around 6ft, and stocky with dark hair, fled to Madrid directly after the attack, and may now be in Ibiza.

Callum Michael Allan, 23, is wanted by Northumbria Police for allegedly being involved in drug dealing as well as assaulting an emergency worker, affray and dangerous driving. His last known address was in South Shields, and he is slim, white, around 5ft 11in, with fine hair, blue eyes and a Tyneside accent. Allan has links to Alicante and Marbella.

Dean Garforth, 29, whose last known address was in Dingle, Liverpool, is wanted by Cheshire Police for being part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns. He is accused of having used the secret phone network Encrochat, that was brought down in an international sting, to carry out his crimes.

Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30, from Liverpool, is also accused of being part of a drug dealing gang, trafficking heroin and crack cocaine from Liverpool to Grimsby via a dedicated phone line, and has a separate 2018 conviction for conspiracy to supply cocaine, for which he was sentenced in his absence to 10 years in prison. His last known address was in Walton, Liverpool, and he is white and 6ft 2in.

Mark Francis Roberts, 28, also from Liverpool, is wanted for GBH and attempted robbery in 2016. Roberts and an accomplice threatened the victim with a knife on his driveway at 1.30am in a bungled attempt to steal his £60,000 Richard Mille watch. When the victim refused to hand it over, the pair stabbed him multiple times, leaving him with a collapsed lung and needing treatment in intensive care.

Roberts, who is white, 6ft 1in and has a scar down his right leg, cut his arm during the attack and was identified when his blood was recovered from the victim.

Scotsman James 'Jamie' Stevenson, 56, is wanted by the National Crime Agency and Police Scotland over the seizure of approximately one tonne of cocaine and 28 million Etizolam "street Valium" tablets. The cocaine was found in a shipment at the Port of Dover in September 2020 and the tablets were seized following a raid on a suspected pill factory in Kent in June 2020. Stevenson, who is white, stocky and has a scar on the left side of his face, is also wanted in connection with two suspected arson attacks in Lanarkshire and Forth Valley in May 2020. His last known address was in Rutherglen, Glasgow, and he is around 5ft 9in with grey hair. He has links to Barcelona and Alicante.

Nana Oppong, 41, is wanted by Essex Police over the drive-by killing of Robert Powell, 50, who was shot eight times with a 9mm pistol on June 13 2020. He is black, athletic, and has various scars including two circular marks above his right eye, a series of small scars on his left hand and fingers, and a scar near his navel. His last known address was in Newham, east London, and he has links to Marbella.