One of Britain's most wanted criminals arrested in Spain on same day public campaign launched

One of Britain's most wanted criminals was arrested in Spain

Simon Dutton has been arrested in Spain

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PA

Susanna Siddell

By Susanna Siddell


Published: 15/05/2026

- 12:30

'These are not people you want in your neighbourhood,' a policing chief warned

One of Britain's most wanted criminals was arrested in Spain on the same day a public campaign was launched to find 12 men thought to be hidden in the country.

Simon Dutton, 49, was detained in La Nucia, a town north of Benidorm, and remains in Spanish custody.


During the dramatic arrest, Armed Civil Guard officers surrounded a whitewashed villa before forcing entry while shouting "police, police" in English.

Footage captured officers entering the property with sniffer dogs and counting large amounts of cash.

A man believed to be Dutton was filmed being escorted to a patrol car by Spanish officers.

The convicted drug smuggler from Bolton received a 14-year jail sentence back in September 2016 for organising major cocaine imports and money laundering.

One interception alone was valued at £1.5million.

The wanted criminal can be identified with the name "Rachel" tattooed on his left arm.

Simon Dutton

A man believed to be Simon Dutton was arrested in Spain

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PA

His arrest came on the same day the National Crime Agency, Spanish police and Crimestoppers teamed up to launch their latest "rogues gallery" in Alicante, commemorating Operation Captura's 20th anniversary.

Over the years, the campaign has issued 11 public appeals which have resulted in 98 of 111 publicised fugitives being captured.

In the past year alone, 56 criminals have been extradited from Spain to the UK.

NCA director general operations Rob Jones said: "Fugitives rarely stop offending while on the run.

The 12 most wanted criminals thought to be hiding in Spain according to the NCA

The 12 most wanted criminals thought to be hiding in Spain

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PA/NCA

"They continue to harm communities in both Spain and the UK, and attempt to stay under the radar by blending into large British expat populations.

"These are not people you want in your neighbourhood."

All 12 men on this year's list are believed to have connections to Spanish locations including Tenerife, Marbella, Alicante and Malaga.

Kevin Thomas Parle, 45, is wanted by Merseyside Police for two murders. He is accused of killing Liam Kelly in Liverpool in 2004 and Lucy Hargreaves in Walton a year later.

He has links to Malaga and Costa Blanca.

Meanwhile, Derek McGraw Ferguson, 62, is sought by Police Scotland for the murder of Thomas Cameron was killed outside a pub on Auchinairn Road, Glasgow, on June 28 2007.

Ferguson is described as white, 5ft 3ins, stocky and balding.

Alexsandr Vladimirovich Kuksov, 23, was last known to be living in Tenerife and is accused of being part of a gang that converted drug dealers' cash into cryptocurrency.

The criminal gang allegedly provided the same service in reverse for cyber criminals and is alleged to have helped Russian oligarchs to evade sanctions by purchasing UK property.

NCA deputy director of international Rick Jones warned that criminals try to blend into British expat communities.

"They will generally integrate themselves into these communities, which are populated by many, many thousands of British people who are perhaps enjoying their retirement or running businesses there," he said.

"Criminals will do what they do here, which is integrate themselves and hide among society, and then abuse that trust of those communities and offend against them."