Two fugitives from Merseyside have been arrested by Dutch officers in Amsterdam during the past week.
The two men were wanted in connection with Operation Venetic – an international operation targeting criminals who used a mobile encryption service, commonly referred to as Encrochat, in an attempt to evade detection.
A joint operation between the NCA, the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) and the Dutch Police led to the arrest of the men in Amsterdam this week.
A 59 year old man from West Derby was arrested on suspicion of the following offences:
– Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (cocaine and heroin)
– Conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin outside the jurisdiction (Scotland).
A 35 year old man from Anfield was arrested on suspicion of the following offences:
– Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (namely cocaine and heroin)
– Conspiracy to supply Class B drugs (cocaine)
– Conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons
– Conspiracy to possess ammunition
– Conspiracy to fraudulently evade prohibition on the importation of class a drugs (cocaine).
DI Dave Worthington from the NWROCU’s Operations Team said, “There is no such place as a safe haven for fugitives on the run. It does not matter where in the world they flee to, the NCA and its partners have the expertise to track them down and bring them back to the UK to face justice.
“We have been wanting to speak to this pair since June 2020 when the Encrochat platform was taken down. We are now working with the NCA and European authorities, so he can be extradited to the UK.”
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