A suspected drug lord accused of smuggling heroin worth tens of millions of pounds into Britain has been arrested in Holland.
Mark Brown, 44, was held at a petrol station on the outskirts of Amsterdam in an operation involving local police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca).
The Liverpudlian had been named by Crimestoppers as one of Britain's most wanted men and he was thought to be hiding in Spain.
Detectives believe Brown was the head of an organised crime gang which smuggled heroin into Britain. The gang hid the drugs in the feet of wooden pallets used to transport legitimate loads of quad bikes and motorised toys.
Brown was arrested by Amsterdam Regional Police at a petrol station in Almere on the outskirts of the Dutch city on Thursday afternoon.
Police said he told them he fled Spain because he felt unsafe due to widespread publicity about his case.
Brown featured on a top 10 list of crooks suspected of hiding around Malaga, an area of Spain's coast dubbed the "Costa del Crime".
Dave Cording, of Crimestoppers, said: "In the run-up to Christmas, this arrest sends the clear message to criminals that the hunt for them is still on. As Brown himself admitted, we are evidently chasing crooks out of Spain, but there is still nowhere for them to hide. A huge well done must go to Soca and the Dutch police for such a successful working partnership."
A spokesman for Soca said: "This arrest is a massive endorsement for Crimestoppers operation Captura and its reputation in the criminal community.
"Soca and our international partners, working together with Crimestoppers and the general public, are having a real impact on UK fugitives. We are making sure they realise that at any moment there could be a knock on the door followed by the clink of handcuffs."
