A luxury car thief who evaded British authorities for more than a decade while living in South America has finally been brought to justice.
Mark Witchell, 61, was apprehended at Holyhead Port on Anglesey last August, ending his 14-year flight from the law that began when he absconded to Brazil in 2011.
The organised crime figure, originally from Nantwich, received a decade-long prison sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court earlier this month.
Witchell pleaded guilty to multiple charges including theft, money laundering, and offences relating to prescription and controlled substances.
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He had fled the country after being charged in 2011, failing to appear at his committal hearing and becoming subject to a court warrant.
The vehicle thefts formed just one strand of Witchell's criminal portfolio, which investigators described as highly sophisticated.
Staffordshire Police's economic crime unit traced the car thefts back to the Nantwich man, leading to charges being filed in 2011.
However, rather than face justice, Witchell chose to disappear abroad, beginning his lengthy period as a fugitive approximately 6,000 miles from British shores.
Mark Witchell, 61, has now been jailed
|STAFFORDSHIRE POLICE
While hiding in Brazil, Witchell established a far more lucrative criminal venture – an elaborate online operation selling controlled drugs and prescription medicines.
The enterprise, which ran from August 2013 to December 2015, generated approximately £3.7million in revenue over barely two years.
From his South American base, Witchell commanded a team of associates in Britain who operated websites selling substances including codeine, diazepam, tramadol and zopiclone.
The scale of the operation was substantial, with more than three million units of drugs and medicines distributed to customers worldwide.
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Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard how Witchell was caught at Holyhead Port
| PAProfits from the illicit trade were channelled through a Mauritius-based company called Next Day Pharmacy Solutions before reaching Witchell's personal bank accounts in the island nation.
Prosecutors worked with international authorities, including appealing directly to the Attorney General of Mauritius, to trace the money trail and secure crucial evidence.
Three UK-based members of the network, Grant Newton, Darrell Baggley and Callum Baggley, were convicted and sentenced in March 2023.
Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Ben Reid described Witchell as "a committed, organised criminal involved in multiple strands of illegal activity which he directed at arm's length, using his network of associates to carry out his work on the ground."
Authorities caught Witchell in Holyhead Port
| PAHe added: "This case demonstrates that the CPS is committed to pursuing criminals like Witchell wherever they are, for however long it takes."
Detective Constable Gareth Reynolds from Staffordshire Police's economic crime unit stated: "This was a highly sophisticated criminal operation which generated millions of pounds by profiting from other people's vulnerability and belongings."
Andy Morling, Head of the MHRA Criminal Enforcement unit, said the case "sends a clear message that there is nowhere to hide for those who seek to profit from medicines trafficking."
Beyond his prison term, Witchell has been prohibited from acting as a company director for 14 years.
The CPS intends to pursue a serious crime prevention order, with a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing scheduled to recover any remaining assets