Operation Captura 2006 - 2011

Dave CordingDeputy Chief Executive

“Operation Captura was first launched in 2006 and is widely considered to be

the UK’s, if not the world’s, most successful campaign to target

fugitives abroad.”

Ben Ando, BBC News crime reporter

Latest Operation Captura launch – Alicante 2011

First arrest on same day as launch

• Everardus WIJTVLIET, born 25/04/1971 in the Netherlands, was arrested on the same day as the launch (Monday 21 February) in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, by officers of the Spanish National Police's Greco Team. 

• WIJTVLIET is accused of organising the importation of controlled substances into the UK. In 2009 under WIJTVLIET’S instruction, a lorry was driven through Dover docks; within which was concealed, 100kg of a powder containing heroin and 6kg of a powder containing cocaine.  The lorry driver was arrested and charged with importing heroin and cocaine, with the case pending at Canterbury Crown Court. 

Second arrest in 48 hours

• RICE, born 12/06/1961 in Exeter was convicted in his absence to life imprisonment for conspiracy to kidnap & false imprisonment.

• Arrested at 9am (GMT) on Wednesday 23 February) in Alhuarin, by the Spanish National Police.

Calls to the Spanish line

•April 2011 – 24•May 2011 - 64

How it all started in 2006

• In October 2006, a three-month pilot of the Operation Captura initiative, led by Crimestoppers and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), was launched with ten appeals for information on criminals involved in serious organised criminality, appearing on Most Wanted. The appeals ranged from individuals wanted for murder or for major drug trafficking offenses.

• Through the huge amounts of publicity generated by both the British and Spanish media, there were some early successes with several of the criminals being tracked down and arrested mainly as a result of information passed to Crimestoppers.

Success to date: 46 out of 60 arrested

Where the 46 were caught!

Captura in the news

Of those captured, what were their offences?

Murder – 8Drugs – 20Fraud - 6Robbery – 3Crime of a sexual nature – 4Burglary – 1Conspiracy to kidnap – 1Assault/Violence - 3

Snapshot of media coverage

•Batch 2 – 369 pieces (Broadcast/online/print)•Batch 5 – 199 pieces (Broadcast/online/print)•Batch 6 – 397 pieces (Broadcast/online/print)

Visitors to our website on Captura launch dates

• 6 November 2008 – 25,767 visits

•23 September 2009 - 6,598 visits

•21 February 2011 -19,152 visits

Information passed to SOCA

• Batch 1 - Two weeks after the launch over 700 calls had been received which produced 65 actionable pieces of information.

• Batch 6 – Since the launch of the sixth batch of wanted individuals, Crimestoppers has been able to pass on 45 actionable pieces of information.

• Figures for this year alone – Since the sixth batch of wanted individuals was launched, Crimestoppers has been able to pass on 122 pieces of information between February 2011 and September 2011.

£1 MILLION SUCCESS STORY

Anthony Kearney and Donna McCafferty, were the first couple to be arrested and sentenced as part of Operation Captura back in 2008, less than 24 hours after the appeal by Crimestoppers was made public.

The couple admitted committing benefit fraud by claiming housing benefit when they had more than £330,000 in offshore accounts.

Kearney was jailed for two years and McCafferty was given 250 hours community service. At the start of October 2011, it was revealed by the Glasgow Sheriff Court that a confiscation order for almost £1 million was made against the couple.

Recap

• 60 individuals appealed for in five years• 46 individuals arrested• Over 1,000 pieces of media coverage• Over 50,000 website visitors on day of launches• Over 120 pieces of information passed onto

SOCA between February 2011 and September 2011.