A 'dangerous' mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Merseyside wanted in relation to a drugs investigation may be living in Dubai under a different name, it is believed.
Paul 'Boom Boom' Cahoon, 43, from the Rainhill area, was first identified as a wanted man in 2015 after police targeted a Merseyside drugs gang.
Police discovered the organised crime group were distributing 200kg of amphetamines worth up to £200,000 in a series of drug runs between Merseyside and South Wales.
Operation Orlando resulted in the successful prosecution of the gang in 2016. Prosecutors told Liverpool Crown Court that they believed Cahoon led the group alongside another member called James Bush.
One of the gang was held after he tried to smuggle two Kinder Surprise eggs filled with cocaine through John Lennon Airport, on his way to a stag do in Spain.
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Seven members of the crime group were later jailed for a combined 50 years, but Cahoon is still wanted by the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) in relation to the conspiracy.
The public have been warned not to approach the former mixed martial arts fighter, who has been described as "potentially violent and dangerous" by officers.
Police have said that Cahoon has probably visited Dubai at some point since he was first named as a wanted man.
There are claims that he might be living in the United Arab Emirates under a different name.
Cahoon, who fought under the moniker ' Boom Boom', was seen as one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts on Merseyside. He regularly fought in Liverpool and was a popular figure with fans of the sport.
Cahoon also organised some of the first so called 'cage fighting' events to take place in Liverpool as early as 2004. The events attracted some controversy at the time due to the level of violence involved in the burgeoning sport.
In the 2016 case the court heard how police were keen to speak to Cahoon in relation to a large scale drugs conspiracy which stretched from Merseyside to south Wales.
Members of the seven strong gang spent the proceeds of crime on expensive cars and even a jet ski.
This week police said that they were continuing to appeal for the public's help in tracing Cahoon as part of an investigation into Class A and B drug supply across the UK.
The force said they they believed that Cahoon could have information which might assist the investigation.
A police spokesman said: "Members of the public are advised not to approach Cahoon as he is regarded as a potentially violent and dangerous individual."
Police said that Cahoon may have been in Dubai but that they are keeping an open mind as to his current whereabouts.
A spokesperson from NWROCU said: “As time passes, we remain as determined as ever to locate Cahoon and welcome any information to assist us, which will be acted upon.
"There are no boundaries in policing, and we work closely with our national and international partners to bring people home.”
If you recognise Cahoon from his photo or have any information as to his whereabouts, please call 999, call NWROCU on 0151 7777680, or @CrimestoppersUK anonymously on 0800 555 111.
