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Suspected murderers, drug barons and conmen have been named on a list of the UK’s most wanted fugitives believed to be hiding out in Spain.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) launched its latest rogues gallery alongside Spanish police and Crimestoppers today, warning ex-pats and holidaymakers: ‘These are not the people you want in your neighbourhood.’
It marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Captura – a multi-agency campaign which ha seen 98 of the 111 named fugitives brought to justice.
All 12 suspects are believed to have links to Spain including summer holiday hotspots Tenerife, Marbella, Alicante, and Malaga.
Rob Jones, the NCA’s director general of operations, said: ‘As we mark the 20th anniversary of Operation Captura, our message is very clear.
‘Spain is not a safe haven for fugitives and this partnership has shown time and again that if you run, we will not stop looking. We will find you, and we will bring you back to face justice.’
NCA deputy director of international Rick Jones said criminals hope to blend in among British ex-pats and often continue offending while living in Spain.
He said: ‘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.
‘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, or indeed these days it’s very easy to offend against victims or vulnerable people in other countries from anywhere in the world.
‘That’s why we are so determined to leave no stone unturned and no safe place for them to do that and offend against the Spanish communities and our own back here.’
Fugitives often use fake passports in different names, and in extreme cases have surgery to alter their appearance to try to avoid detection during their new life in the sun.
‘These are serious criminals and there’s nothing glamorous for the victims who’ve been hurt by these individuals, whether that’s people who have unfortunately got themselves addicted to drugs and will be harmed in a great, great many ways by that, or people being subject to frauds and perhaps lost a huge amount of money, maybe their life savings, from some of the individuals here,’ Mr Jones said.
‘They’ve chosen to operate outside the law and they’ve chosen to leave this country and abuse the hospitality of a close neighbour of ours.’
During the previous Operation Captura appeal, members of the public came forward with information within days.
‘[Suspects] shouldn’t feel that they are safe there. But the reason some of them choose Spain is that there are these large communities there, English-speaking, and they feel that they can hide better amongst that fraternity.
‘They need to be outside the UK to avoid our attention and they will look for places where they can integrate themselves, and a British expatriate community is ideal for that for them.’
The appeal is set to be officially launched at a press conference in Alicante on Thursday.
Who are the UK's most wanted fugitives?
Simon Dutton, 49
Dutton is wanted for a re-call to prison.
He was sentenced for organising large-scale importations of cocaine and money laundering, with one interception being valued at £1.5 million.
Dutton has the name ‘Rachel’ tattooed on his left arm and has scars on his chin, left hand and right leg.
Dean Eighteen, 48
Eighteen is wanted for submitting false VAT repayment claims on behalf of two companies of which he is the sole director. Eighteen is a white male and is believed to have left the UK in January 2019.
Derek McGraw Ferguson, 62
Ferguson is wanted in connection with the murder of Thomas Cameron which took place in Glasgow in 2007.
He is likely to be living under an alias and has featured in previous campaigns. He remains one of Police Scotland’s Most Wanted fugitives and age-progressed images of Ferguson are available on the NCA’s Most Wanted website.
Philip Barry Foster, 50
Foster is wanted to begin his eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence for fraud and money laundering.
His victims parted with substantial amounts of money for poor quality photos, on the promise of gaining professional modelling work.
Alexsandr Kuksov, 23
Russian national Kuksov is accused of being involved with an organised crime group that laundered multi-millions of pounds of criminal cash between September and October 2022.
Kuksov is stocky with mousy brown hair. He was added to the Most Wanted list in January 2026.
Spencer Dillon Lamb, 33
Heavily tattooed Lamb is wanted for supplying and cultivating drugs.
Lamb has multiple tattoos across his head, neck, arms and abdomen, as well as a scar under his left eye.
Liam Michael Murray, 34
Murray is wanted for his involvement in the supply of cocaine, cannabis and possessing criminal cash. The white male has a medium build and a North-East accent.
Francis David Parker, 40
Parker is believed to be a proactive member of the Coggins organised crime group (OCG).
He is wanted for directing drug couriers and collecting money on behalf of the OCG. He is stocky with short brown and grey hair.
Kevin Thomas Parle, 45
Parle is wanted in relation to the murders of Liam Kelly in 2004 and Lucy Hargreaves in 2005.
He has red hair and has featured in previous campaigns. He is believed to have links to southern Spain.
Matthew Purves, 41
Purves is wanted for his involvement in a conspiracy to supply multiple kilos of cocaine across the UK.
He is 6ft tall with cropped auburn hair and is believed to have links to southern Spain as well as Corby and Peterborough.
John Rocks, 37
Rocks is accused of committing sexual offences between 2012 and 2022.
He is a white British male with a slim build and fair hair.
Charlie Salisbury, 34
Salisbury is wanted on suspicion of supplying cocaine and laundering the proceeds of the crimes. The suspect, who was also a user of EncroChat, has a tattoo of a koi carp and a dragon on his entire right arm, as well as tattoos on his lower right leg.
It includes Kevin Thomas Parle, 45, who is wanted by Merseyside Police for two murders – those of Liam Kelly in Liverpool in 2004 and Lucy Hargreaves in Walton in 2005.
He has links to Malaga and Costa Blanca.
Derek McGraw Ferguson, 62, described as white, 5ft 3ins, stocky and balding, is wanted by Police Scotland for the murder of Thomas Cameron outside a pub in Auchinairn Road, Glasgow, on June 28, 2007.
Alexsandr Vladimirovich Kuksov, also known as Alexander Kuksov, 23, last known to be living in Tenerife, is accused of being part of a gang that laundered millions in UK drug dealers’ money by turning it into cryptocurrency, provided the same service in reverse for cyber criminals, and helped Russian oligarchs avoid sanctions by buying property in the UK.
In the past year 56 criminals have been extradited back to the UK from Spain.
British ex-pats living in Spain and holidaymakers visiting the country are being encouraged to look at the most wanted list.
Those with information are advised not to approach the suspect or tell them or anyone else if they decide to come forward.
Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers anonymously in the UK on 0800 555 111, and in Spain 900 926 111, which will be answered by Crimestoppers in the UK using translation if required.
Alternatively, members of the public can fill out an anonymous online form at the UK charity’s website https://crimestoppers-uk.org/spain.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
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