One-legged ‘most wanted’ British crime boss arrested after five years on run
A notorious crime boss with one leg has finally been caught after five years on the run.
Richard Wakeling, one of the biggest Crime masterminds in the country, has been arrested in Thailand five years after leaving the UK.
He fled the eve of his trial in 2018, in which he was facing being charged for importing £8m worth of liquid amphetamine.
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He was on the National Crime Agency’s ‘most wanted’ list ever since.
Wakeling, who has a prosthetic leg, was later convicted in his absence. The crime boss, from Essex, was given an 11-year jail sentence, reports Birmingham Live.
(Image: PA)
But after fleeing, he holed up in the beachside town of Hua Hin, only to be arrested by cops this week at a garage as he went to collect his car after repairs. He was found with a fake passport
David Coyle, the agency’s regional manager for Thailand, said: “The NCA has worked relentlessly to trace Wakeling and ensure he returns to the UK to serve his prison sentence. I thank the prosecutors of the Attorney General’s office, the Royal Thai Police and the Commissioner of the Central Investigations Bureau for their extensive work helping us identify and arrest Wakeling.”
Jacque Beer, regional head of investigations at the NCA, said: “Wakeling’s arrest was the culmination of the NCA conducting enquiries around the world to capture him. Wakeling had links to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Canada, Spain and Thailand.
(Image: PA)
“We pursued these connections and worked with partners from all those countries to help build the intelligence picture around him. We have been supported by the public who responded to the media and Crimewatch appeals to provide intelligence all of which has ultimately led to his capture.”
Mr Coyle added: “With our partners at home and abroad we are committed to doing everything possible to find those who have fled justice in the UK. This is another example of an offender being caught because of the NCA’s global reach and strong relationships with international partners.”
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