Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Help find these individuals

British investigators are calling on expatriates in Spain to scour the costas again for suspected criminals believed to be hiding out among the country's million Britons.

The campaign by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and Crimestoppers tis targeting the 10 most wanted suspects thought to have fled to Spain.

The physical peculiarities of some of them could make it more likely that they will soon join the 38 others captured after five similar campaigns run in Spain since 2006.

Perhaps the most easily identifiable is 47-year-old Derek McGraw Ferguson, a 5ft 2in Glaswegian with part of one ear missing. He is being sought for the alleged murder in June 2007 of Thomas Cameron at the Auchinairn Tavern in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow.

Ferguson, who also goes by the name of William Murdoch Henderson and the nickname Dekko, was also described as having distinguishing marks which included tattoos on his left arm of a heart, an arrow and a dagger.

Jonathon Lejman from Stoke-on-Trent, wanted in connection with an alleged knife attack during a burglary, is also adorned with tattoos.

The full profile describes "a tribal design on the back of his neck, celtic band tattoo on left upper arm, tattoos on his left and right hands with words in Arabic, tattoo on his right arm of a dragon, tattoo on his back with rose and the names Louise, John and Jordan. Tattoo on his chest with writing in Thai and a tattoo with a picture of a pitbull's head and the words 'only the strong survive'."

A gallery of those being sought is available at the Crimestoppers website. A poster with the faces of the 10 men is also being distributed. Previous Operation Captura campaigns by Crimestoppers have seen some of those being sought captured within days.

Organisers of the latest Operation Captura were optimistic that most of the suspects would soon be caught. "We've continually had an overwhelming response to this campaign, resulting in over 500 pieces of useful information on the fugitives sought," said Dave Cording, director of operations at Crimestoppers, of the five previous appeals.

"Operation Captura is helping make the expat community in Spain an uncomfortable place for fugitives," said Ken Gallagher, Soca's head of European operations. "Having the public's attention focused on these individuals goes a long way to making it harder for them to hide and should act as a warning that Spain is no safe haven for British criminals."

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