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Convicted drug trafficker Mark Lilley, who went on run in 2000, was arrested on Saturday in dawn raid on his Málaga home
One of Britain's most wanted fugitives has been caught hiding naked in a panic room at his luxury Spanish villa, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) has said.
Link to video: British fugitive Mark Lilley arrested in police raid in Spain
Mark Lilley, 41, from Warrington, Cheshire, went on the run in 2000 when he skipped bail during his trial. He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to 23 years in jail for masterminding a large-scale drug operation and firearm offences.
Footage of the dawn raid in Málaga on Saturday shows armed officers climbing over a gate before running to Lilley's front door and smashing their way in with a battering ram. Lilley was found wearing no clothes and hiding in a panic room concealed behind a wardrobe in his bedroom, which featured a four-poster bed.
The fugitive is then filmed being handcuffed, with a strip of cloth wrapped around the lower half of his body. Tattoos covering large parts of his head, chest, arms and back are visible.
The joint Spanish national police and Soca operation involved more than 40 armed officers. A police helicopter hovered above the villa in the Alhurín de la Torre area during the raid.
Dave Allen, head of the fugitives unit at Soca, said: "Lilley was a dangerous man with access to firearms. He had evaded capture for a long time by moving around Spain and using false identities. Now he's behind bars where he belongs and extradition proceedings are under way.
"My message for other fugitives on the run is a simple one: we will hunt you down and you will face justice for your crimes."
Roger Critchell, director of operations at Crimestoppers, said: "We are extremely relieved that this dangerous drug dealer has been arrested and will be made to face justice. This latest capture brings the total number of suspects located as part of Operation Captura to 51 out of 65.
"We would like to thank the public for all their support and information so far, but also remind them that there are still 14 dangerous individuals we still need to locate and Crimestoppers will not rest until we find them. Please tell us what you know, not who you are."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/08/fugitive-naked-panic-room-spanish-villa
One of Britain's most wanted fugitives has been caught hiding naked in a panic room at his luxury Spanish villa, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) has said.
Link to video: British fugitive Mark Lilley arrested in police raid in Spain
Mark Lilley, 41, from Warrington, Cheshire, went on the run in 2000 when he skipped bail during his trial. He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to 23 years in jail for masterminding a large-scale drug operation and firearm offences.
Footage of the dawn raid in Málaga on Saturday shows armed officers climbing over a gate before running to Lilley's front door and smashing their way in with a battering ram. Lilley was found wearing no clothes and hiding in a panic room concealed behind a wardrobe in his bedroom, which featured a four-poster bed.
The fugitive is then filmed being handcuffed, with a strip of cloth wrapped around the lower half of his body. Tattoos covering large parts of his head, chest, arms and back are visible.
The joint Spanish national police and Soca operation involved more than 40 armed officers. A police helicopter hovered above the villa in the Alhurín de la Torre area during the raid.
Dave Allen, head of the fugitives unit at Soca, said: "Lilley was a dangerous man with access to firearms. He had evaded capture for a long time by moving around Spain and using false identities. Now he's behind bars where he belongs and extradition proceedings are under way.
"My message for other fugitives on the run is a simple one: we will hunt you down and you will face justice for your crimes."
Roger Critchell, director of operations at Crimestoppers, said: "We are extremely relieved that this dangerous drug dealer has been arrested and will be made to face justice. This latest capture brings the total number of suspects located as part of Operation Captura to 51 out of 65.
"We would like to thank the public for all their support and information so far, but also remind them that there are still 14 dangerous individuals we still need to locate and Crimestoppers will not rest until we find them. Please tell us what you know, not who you are."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/08/fugitive-naked-panic-room-spanish-villa
