Fugitive bank robbers arrested in Spain
01 October 2010
Two violent and dangerous men suspected of being members of organised crime gangs in the North West of England have been arrested in Valencia after a botched bank robbery.
The arrests on the 29th September followed the work of an international operation between Spanish authorities, SOCA and the Greater Manchester Police to locate them.
Richard Smith, 29, and Jared Jones, 28, fled England in May 2010 after Smith escaped from a prison van. The van had just arrived at Salford Magistrates’ Court when it was attacked by two armed and masked men. They escaped in a white transit van which was later found abandoned.
Both men are wanted in connection with an arson attack in Walkden in 2009 which caused £1.2 million worth of damage. Vital forensic evidence linking a car to an armed robbery was destroyed in the fire. Smith also has a previous conviction for manslaughter following the beating of a Manchester doorman.
Smith and Jones were arrested shortly after a botched bank robbery attempt in Benissa, Alicante, in which they are believed to have been involved. Two other UK criminals were arrested at the scene having attempted to break the bank’s windows.
Smith and Jones are both subjects of European Arrest Warrants and will be brought back to the UK once they have faced charges in Spain.
Matt Burton from SOCA said:
"UK fugitives are finding out time and time again that there is no such thing as a safe haven. These two didn’t even have the sense to try and keep a low profile. The excellent cooperation taking place at local, national and international level means that life on the run for UK fugitives is short lived."
Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan of Greater Manchester Police's Salford Division commented:
"We said we would recapture Smith and working with SOCA and the Spanish Police we have done so. This shows offenders who believe they can commit crimes in the Greater Manchester area and flee to other countries to avoid prosecution, they are not beyond our reach."