Britain's Most Wanted Cocaine Boss Arrested in Spain

[Ladybbird]

Britain's Most Wanted Cocaine Boss Arrested After Police Storm Benidorm Hotel

Suspect Louis James Edwards, 44 - one of Crimestopper's most wanted criminals - was arrested at a hotel in Benidorm following a lengthy investigation undertaken by Spain's Civil Guard

AP 5 Jul 2022










Edwards was arrested following an investigation by the Civil Guard



Britain's 'most wanted' cocaine boss has been arrested after police stormed a Benidorm hotel.


Suspect Louis James Edwards was taken into custody on June 21, police in Spain have announced today.

The 44-year-old, who is listed as one of Crimestoppers' most wanted criminals, was filmed being led barefoot in shorts and a T-shirt through a public square by two officers.

They are said to have later given him trainers.

He is believed to have led a criminal network that distributed cocaine all over southern England.

Detectives tracked him to Malaga before their search led them to the southeastern province.

British man Louis James Edwards, 44, was arrested in a hotel of Benidorm, Alicante province, southeastern Spain

A Civil Guard statement said: "Although the first investigations for the location of (Edwards) were activated in the province of Malaga, the trail followed by the agents took them to the province of Alicante...

"Where they had important indications of the presence of the fugitive, further reinforced by having knowledge of the imminent transfer of relatives of the fugitive to that province.

"After close surveillance of this family group, the investigation focused on a hotel in Benidorm (Alicante), where he was located and arrested."




Edwards was handcuffed and led away barefoot


In a separate raid the next day, also in Alicante, police arrested Dutch national Cornelis Korfet.

The 35-year-old was seized in L'Alfas del Pi, not far from Benidorm.

An official video of shaven-headed Korfet's arrest shows him trying to flee through a cafe after enjoying breakfast with friends.

Korfet is wanted for attempted murder by Dutch police, who say he carried out a revenge shooting in a gang war, seriously injuring two victims.

British man Louis James Edwards, 44, was arrested in a hotel of Benidorm, Alicante province, southeastern Spain 2022 Edwards was arrested last month

Police said in a statement: "The rapid collaboration between the Dutch police and the Civil Guard made it possible to locate this person in the province of Alicante, where it was confirmed that this same person had already been arrested on three occasions with different identities, none of them real.

"Once an intense surveillance on the criminal environment of the fugitive had been established, it was found that he was already using a fourth false identity...




Louis James Edwards, 44, was arrested in a hotel of Benidorm, Alicante province, southeastern Spain


"He was located and arrested in the Alicante municipality of L'Alfas del Pi on June, having recently arrived from Barcelona."

The Civil Guard did not provide any information about the two men's possible extradition to the UK or Holland, or how many years they face in jail if convicted.