An alleged gang member was arrested in Spain and sent back to prison after spending three years on the run.
Clinton Blakey is suspected of being part of a crime gang trafficking weapons and ammunition from Liverpool to Leeds. The 38-year-old was extradited on a flight back to the UK on Thursday, June 8, after being arrested in a vehicle in Marbella on May 17 following a surveillance operation.
He had been on the run for three years after failing to turn up at Leeds Magistrates’ Court to face the weapons and ammunition charges in 2020. According to the National Crime Agency, Blakey is suspected of being linked to a Howa bolt-action rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition seized at a house in Leeds in 2020.
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NCA investigators traced Blakey to Madrid in 2021, where he was arrested by Spanish police. However he fled again after being released on bail in Spain.
He was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Friday, in addition to the firearms and ammunition charges. These new charges relate to the same timeframe as the alleged firearms and ammunition offences.
Blakey was immediately sent back to prison and will serve the remainder of an eight year sentence from a separate drugs conviction after breaching his licence conditions.
His initial arrest followed that of Paul Shepherd’s, a former professional footballer. Shepherd was convicted for his role storing the weapons and awaits sentencing.
Blakey and Shepherd's arrests triggered a number of others across West Yorkshire, Merseyside and the North East, all linked to Operation Venetic - the UK law enforcement response to the takedown of encrypted communications platform EncroChat.
Nigel Coles, NCA Operations Manager, said: “Blakey was arrested after an intelligence led operation between the NCA and Spanish National Police Organised Crime Fugitive Team.
“Following an intense period of research and surveillance he was detained in a vehicle in Marbella and transported back to the UK.
“Firearms and the supply of Class A drugs are inextricably linked and are often the cause of violence and exploitation in communities. Ensuring they are taken out of circulation and those associated with their use face the consequences of their actions are crucial to our work protecting the public.”
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