Simon Dutton, 49, from Bolton, is one of the UK’s 12 most-wanted fugitives believed to be hiding in Spain, where investigators say he is suspected of helping move large shipments of cocaine into Britain. The National Crime Agency named him in a new drive to flush out criminals who have settled among British ex-pats.
The agency said one intercepted consignment exposed 10.5kg of cocaine with a street value of £1.5m, a seizure that underlines why Dutton is being pursued so aggressively. Police believe he is tied to trafficking routes running from Spain to the UK, part of a wider case against suspects thought to be operating from abroad while trying to keep a low profile.
The list was released as part of a campaign aimed at fugitives believed to be hiding in Spain, where the agency says some criminals blend into expat communities and keep offending. Rick Jones, speaking for the National Crime Agency, 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.”
Dutton’s inclusion on the list puts his case alongside several other suspected drug dealers named by the agency, and it reflects a simple reality for investigators: some of the people they are hunting are not gone, only harder to see. The next step is whether the campaign can turn familiar streets and quiet neighborhoods in Spain into places where someone recognizes him and calls it in.
