Spanish police arrested a major fugitive Monday who is wanted for allegedly supplying drugs and firearms.
Dean Garforth, ranked among the most wanted fugitives in the U.K., was followed by law enforcement as he rode his e-bike in the Nueva Andalucia neighborhood of Marbella, according to a British National Crime Agency (NCA) press release. Nueva Andalucia is known as an upmarket neighborhood and includes a marina, the BBC reported.
As the police officers surrounded him, Garforth attempted to evade arrest and ended up hitting an officer with his e-bike, the NCA wrote in the statement. Garforth was arrested and is expected to undergo proceedings for extradition to the U.K.
One of the fugitives included in the list of most wanted criminals in the United Kingdom has been arrested in #Marbella. On Dean Garforth, 30, there was an international arrest warrant issued by the British authorities for drug and arms trafficking crimes. https://t.co/f88nSIKfPo
— Embassy of Spain UK (@EmbSpainUK) October 26, 2022
Garforth was originally wanted by the Cheshire Police for allegedly supplying drugs and firearms. He was included in a January most wanted list of U.K. fugitives suspected to be hiding in Spain, according to the NCA.
A joint operation involving the Cheshire Police, the NCA, and Spanish National Police targeted Garforth, who allegedly worked in a broader organized crime network, the NCA wrote in the statement. (RELATED: Tennessee Man Arrested With Enough Fentanyl To Kill Nearly 150,000 People)
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Murray of the Cheshire Constabulary said the “latest arrest shows how by working together, there are no borders and no safe places to hide” before highlighting a commitment to bring organized crime suspects “before the courts,” according to the NCA.
Organized criminal networks frequently attempt to transfer drugs across Europe and the U.S. American authorities seized $2.1 million worth of liquid methamphetamine on the southern border in July.