1-legged British crime boss arrested in Thailand after 5 years on the run
- Richard Wakeling, 55, from Brentwood, Essex, tried to import US$9.65 million of liquid amphetamine into the UK in April 2016
- He fled in 2018 before his 12-week trial began and was sentenced to 11 years in his absence at Chelmsford Crown Court on April 9 of that year
A British organised crime boss has been arrested in Thailand after being on the run for five years.
Richard Wakeling, 55, from Brentwood, Essex, tried to import £8 million (US$9.65 million) of liquid amphetamine into the UK in April 2016.
He fled in 2018 before his 12-week trial began and was sentenced to 11 years in his absence at Chelmsford Crown Court on April 9 of that year.
Wakeling, who has a prosthetic lower right leg, was placed on the National Crime Agency (NCA)’s “most wanted” list, and appeals were issued for information to help trace him.
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On Friday, officers from the Royal Thai Police arrested the fugitive at a Bangkok garage where he had been collecting his car after repairs, the NCA said.