Rabat – Morocco extradited one of the UK’s most wanted fugitives back to England on Wednesday.
BBC said Alex Male arrived back in the UK “four years after breaking bail restrictions imposed following his arrest.”
Male’s arrest sparked celebration within the UK’s National Crime Agency, whose international regional head thanked the Moroccan authorities for their “tenacious work” in arresting the suspect.
Moroccan police arrested the suspect in January after he tried to enter the country with a fake passport.
Male, 32, faces several charges, including money laundering, as well as conspiracy to acquire a firearm and to supply cocaine and ketamine across South West England.
The BBC report said that following his initial arrest by the South Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) in June of 2020, Male broke his bail, according to a SWROCU spokesperson. The report also noted that he was “understood to be living in Spain and later Portugal.”
Authorities put him on the National Crime Agency’s Most Wanted list in January of 2022.
Securities services in Lisbon arrested him in 2022, but he was released in October as the custody time limit expired.
The extradition process reflects Morocco’s determination to continue to cooperate with international partners against criminal activities as part of its ongoing efforts in the exchange of information and intelligence.
The North African country works with different intelligence services to access the world, prioritizing a shared responsibility to address all forms of security threats.
As a member of Interpol since 1957, Morocco also arrested another British suspect for his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking case in July.
The 31-year old man was the subject of a red notice from Interpol at the request of the UK.
The suspect is allegedly involved in a criminal network active in international trafficking of cocaine and cannabis. He was also allegedly involved in physical assaults and psychological violence.
Moroccan police put the suspect in custody pending an upcoming extradition procedure.
