A Cardiff fugitive has been escorted back to the UK and charged with conspiracy to supply drugs after spending the best part of four years on the run.
Calvin Parris, 34, was detained by Portuguese officers in the Algarve on October 3, according to South Wales Police.
12 days later he was accompanied back to his native country by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers from the Joint International Crime Centre (JICC).
Police have since charged Parris with conspiracy to supply cocaine.
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Sky News reports that Parris is allegedly thought to have been part of an organised crime gang that used the encrypted ‘EncroChat’ platform to traffic class-A controlled drugs into South Wales.
After several of his reported co-conspirators were arrested, it’s thought the alleged perpetrator left the country ‘on or before November 29 2020’, as per Detective Sargent Ceri Young.
“He never returned and a joint operation involving South Wales Police, the NCA and other European law enforcement agencies was launched in order to trace and arrest him,” she continued.
Due to his failure to ‘return’ to the UK, DS Young said a European-wide manhunt was launched and he was swiftly listed as one of the NCA’s most-wanted fugitives.
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Two years ago, the agency reported that they believed Parris was residing in Spain.
“We are pleased to report that Parris has been arrested in Portugal following a joint investigation with the NCA and other European law enforcement partners,” DS Young stated, before explaining how organised crime and drug trafficking had a ‘significant detrimental impact on communities’.
“Bringing offenders involved in this level of criminality to justice is a priority for South Wales Police,” the official added.
After being brought back to the UK, the alleged perpetrator was taken into custody by South Wales Police before appearing at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (October 16).
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Parris was then remanded in custody until his next appearance at Cardiff Crown Court in November.
Following his subsequent arrest near the town of Boliqueime, Neil Keeping, NCA international regional manager, has issued a warning to other alleged criminals who are currently evading police capture.
He said the arrest: “Highlights our commitment to tracing those accused of serious criminality and returning them to the UK to face charges.
"It should also serve as a warning to other fugitives on the run - no matter how you try and evade law enforcement, we will always catch up with you.”
Keeping added his thanks to the Portuguese Judicial Police, praising the officials for ‘working tirelessly to locate and detain Parris’.
Ella Scott