One of the UK’s most wanted men, arrested in Morocco earlier in the year after being on the run for four years, has been brought back to Britain by the National Crime Agency in conjunction with the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Alex Male, 32, was detained on 21 January by officers from the Moroccan General Directorate for National Security (DGSN), accused of entering the country illegally using false documentation.

He has remained in custody in Morocco since his arrest and arrived back in the UK yesterday (7 August), escorted by officers from the NCA’s Joint International Crime Centre (JICC).

Male, from Weston-super-Mare, was added to the NCA’s Most Wanted appeal in January 2022 after he went on the run following his arrest by the SWROCU in June 2020.

He is accused of conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine, money laundering and conspiracy to acquire a firearm.

Male appeared at Exeter Magistrates’ Court today, 8 August, and has been remanded into custody. He will next appear at Exeter Crown Court on 5 September 2024.

David Hucker, NCA International Regional Head of Operations, said: “The arrest of Alex Male shows that no matter how fugitives try to evade UK law enforcement, we will always catch up with them.

“I’d like to thank our DGSN partners in Morocco for their tenacious work in locating and arresting Male. Fugitives who think they can go on the run and stay under the radar should never stop looking over their shoulders, as we and our international partners will always be looking for them.”

Det Supt Tina Robinson, Head of SWROCU, said: “We’re glad to see Alex Male back in the UK where he can finally face the serious charges against him. He has tried to avoid this since going on the run four years ago, but his attempts have ultimately proved unsuccessful thanks to work with our partners both in the UK and internationally.”

 

Alex Male