Crime Boss Wakeling Extradited to UK After 11-Year Run

Richard Wakeling, a crime boss who went on the run in 2018 before his trial, has been extradited to the UK from Thailand and has begun serving his 11-year prison sentence.

Wakeling, who was described as a most wanted fugitive, was convicted and sentenced in his absence in 2019.

Despite his absence, he was arrested in Bangkok last February and escorted back to Heathrow by specialist officers from the Joint International Crime Centre’s extradition unit.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Wakeling had fled the UK shortly before the start of his trial on charges of attempting to import £8m worth of amphetamine suspended in liquid.

The NCA launched an investigation into Wakeling’s organised crime group after Border Force officers stopped a truck carrying plastic drums carrying the drugs on 9 April 2016.

The truck was transporting furniture from Italy but stopped at Ternat in Belgium, where phone evidence showed it was directed to collect the drugs.

The NCA said the entire importation was set up by Wakeling, who was in contact with drug suppliers in the Netherlands and liaised with two other UK offenders to arrange the journey.

Officers proved that the crime group had organised six other importations before the 2016 seizure.

David Coyle, the NCA’s regional manager for Thailand at the time, said the extradition was an example of international cooperation bringing about justice.

“I thank the prosecutors of the attorney general’s office, the Royal Thai police and the commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau for their extensive work helping us identify and arrest Wakeling,” Coyle said.

Wakeling’s extradition highlights the NCA’s global reach and its commitment to bringing those who commit serious and organised crime to justice, no matter how long it takes or how far they flee.