The fugitive Alex Male, who was declared the most wanted man in the United Kingdom, has been apprehended in Morocco where Moroccan security services arrested him and handed him over to their British counterparts.
The news is making headlines in the UK. The elusive fugitive Alex Male was repatriated on August 7, 2024, following his arrest in Morocco. The British National Crime Agency (NCA) announced that the man declared the UK's most wanted fugitive was arrested on January 21 by agents of the Moroccan General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) for illegally entering Moroccan territory with falsified documents.
Alex Male, 32, originally from Weston-super-Mare, had been actively sought since June 2020 after evading British security services the day after his arrest by the South West Regional Organized Crime Unit (SWROCU). He is accused of involvement in a case of cocaine and ketamine trafficking, money laundering, and conspiracy to acquire a firearm.
Thanks to the Moroccan security services, the fugitive was arrested and presented before Exeter Crown Court (253 km from London) on August 8. He is now in pre-trial detention and will appear again before the same court on September 5, 2024.
"I would like to thank our partners at the DGSN in Morocco for their tireless work in locating and arresting Male," said David Hucker, the NCA's Head of International Operations. "Fugitives who think they can run and evade detection should never stop looking over their shoulder, as we and our international partners will always be on their trail," he added.
The arrest has sparked numerous reactions, including that of Detective Superintendent Tina Robinson, who leads the SWROCU. "We are pleased 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 his escape four years ago, but his attempts ultimately failed thanks to the work with our partners both in the UK and internationally," she stated.
This is not the first time that foreign security services have publicly expressed their gratitude to their Moroccan counterparts. Recently, Spanish intelligence services also expressed their gratitude to Hammouchi and his services for the arrest of a dangerous radical thanks to valuable information from Morocco, and previously, the American services…
