National Crime Agency names Simon Dutton among 12 fugitives in Spain
Simon Dutton, 49, from Bolton, was named by the National Crime Agency as one of the UK’s 12 most-wanted fugitives believed to be hiding in Spain. The agency says Dutton is suspected of being behind large shipments of cocaine from Spain to the UK, placing his case at the center of a wider hunt that now stretches across borders.
One intercepted consignment linked to the investigation contained 10.5kg of cocaine with a street value of £1.5m. That figure gives the clearest measure yet of the scale the National Crime Agency says it is confronting, as it looks for fugitives it believes are using Spain as a base.
National Crime Agency list
The National Crime Agency released the list of 12 most-wanted fugitives believed to be hiding in Spain. Alongside Simon Dutton, it included Kevin Parle, Philip Foster, Derek Ferguson and Alexsandr Vladimirovich Kuksov.
Rick Jones, the National Crime Agency’s deputy director of international, said criminals trying to blend in with British ex-pats often continue offending while living in Spain. “They will generally integrate themselves into these communities, which are populated by many, many thousands of British people who are perhaps enjoying their retirement or running businesses there,” he said.
Cocaine route from Spain
Dutton is believed to be behind large shipments of cocaine from Spain to the UK. The seized consignment of 10.5kg is the clearest example in the facts provided of the route the agency says he is tied to, and it links his name to a drug supply line with a street value of £1.5m.
The list also places him in a wider group of fugitives wanted for different alleged crimes. Kevin Parle is suspected of murder, Derek Ferguson is wanted over murder, Philip Foster is described as a former Brookside actor turned fraudster, and Alexsandr Vladimirovich Kuksov is a Russian national suspected of laundering money.
Why Dutton matters
The NCA’s focus on fugitives in Spain is not limited to one case. It is targeting people it believes are living among British ex-pats, and Dutton’s name shows that suspected drug supply lines remain part of that search.
For people watching the case, the practical point is straightforward: the National Crime Agency has put Dutton’s name and alleged role in front of the public, and the cocaine seizure gives a concrete scale to the investigation. The list now places pressure on fugitives in Spain while tying Dutton to a cross-border route the agency says it is actively pursuing.
