Cocaine Fugitive Pinched in Raids on Criminals’ Favourite Costa Bars
22 December 2010
A fugitive wanted in the UK for his part in a conspiracy to supply cocaine was arrested on Saturday night in the Trafalgar Bar, in Calahonda, Costa Del Sol.
Dennis Patrick O’Brien, 61, had been on the run for more than four years. His arrest was part of an ongoing operation by the Spanish National Police and SOCA to target bars which are known to be regular haunts of criminals.
O’Brien is wanted by Merseyside Police facing prosecution for conspiracy to supply cocaine with an estimated street value of £166 million. Since December 2007 he has featured on the SOCA/Crimestoppers Operation Captura most-wanted list, which aims to engage the help of the public to locate wanted fugitives hiding in Spain.
On the 25th November of this year, the High Court granted SOCA’s application for a civil recovery order against O’Brien’s assets which included a large pub in Liverpool and a bank account holding around £30,000, as well as a four bedroom house owned by his son, Dennis Kelly.
Ken Gallagher, SOCA’s European head of investigation, said; “Our partnership with Spain to target British criminals living and operating there goes from strength to strength. We are making life tough for them, with operations like this getting right into the areas where they live and socialise, and we will be piling on the pressure in the New Year when we launch the next list of most-wanted fugitives.”
O’Brien will now remain in custody in Spain pending extradition proceedings.
For more information on Crimestoppers and the 12 remaining fugitives wanted under Operation Captura, visit the Crimestoppers website.
For more information on SOCA’s work to target criminals’ finances visit our Asset Recovery pages.
Cocaine Fugitive Pinched in Raids on Criminals’ Favourite Costa Bars
A fugitive wanted in the UK for his part in a conspiracy to supply cocaine was arrested on Saturday night in the Trafalgar Bar, in Calahonda, Costa Del Sol.
Dennis Patrick O’Brien, 61, had been on the run for more than four years. His arrest was part of an ongoing operation by the Spanish National Police and SOCA to target bars which are known to be regular haunts of criminals.
O’Brien is wanted by Merseyside Police facing prosecution for conspiracy to supply cocaine with an estimated street value of £166 million. Since December 2007 he has featured on the SOCA/Crimestoppers Operation Captura most-wanted list, which aims to engage the help of the public to locate wanted fugitives hiding in Spain.
On the 25th November of this year, the High Court granted SOCA’s application for a civil recovery order against O’Brien’s assets which included a large pub in Liverpool and a bank account holding around £30,000, as well as a four bedroom house owned by his son, Dennis Kelly.
Ken Gallagher, SOCA’s European head of investigation, said; “Our partnership with Spain to target British criminals living and operating there goes from strength to strength. We are making life tough for them, with operations like this getting right into the areas where they live and socialise, and we will be piling on the pressure in the New Year when we launch the next list of most-wanted fugitives.”
O’Brien will now remain in custody in Spain pending extradition proceedings.
For more information on Crimestoppers and the 12 remaining fugitives wanted under Operation Captura, visit the Crimestoppers website.
For more information on SOCA’s work to target criminals’ finances visit our Asset Recovery pages.