A one-legged crime boss is in custody after managing to stay one step ahead of police for five years.
Richard Wakeling, 55, was arrested in Thailand Friday as he was picking up his vehicle from a repair shop, authorities say.
Wakeling's arrest stems from a 2016 incident in which he attempted to smuggle more than $8 million worth of liquid meth into the U.K., according to the National Crime Agency.
Wakeling was expected to face 11 years in jail but fled before his 2018 trial and has been on the "most wanted" list ever since.
Although Wakeling had obtained a passport under a fictitious name, officers with the National Crime Agency had no trouble identifying him -- because he was wearing a prosthetic leg.
Authorities say Wakeling had been living in the beachside town of Hua Hin, though it's not clear how exactly they tracked him down.
"Wakeling's arrest was the culmination of the NCA conducting enquiries around the world to capture him," Jacque Beer, NCA regional head of investigations, said in a statement. "Wakeling had links to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Canada, Spain and Thailand. We pursued these connections and worked with partners from all those countries to help build the intelligence picture around him."
The investigation into Wakeling's organized crime group began when officers stopped a truck that was attempting to board a Channel Tunnel train, which connects the UK to France, and discovered plastic drums carrying the drugs.
Authorities said the truck was transporting furniture from Italy and stopped in Belgium along the way to collect the drugs. The entire importation was set up by Wakeling, according to officials.
Wakeling was in contact with drug suppliers in the Netherlands and worked with two other UK offenders to arrange the journey, officials said. Investigators believe the crime group had organized at least six other importations before the 2016 seizure.
Wakeling remains in custody and is undergoing extradition proceedings.
Related
Related
