This is the moment one of Britain’s most wanted drug traffickers appeared to accept his fate after being arrested in Alicante on Thursday.
Simon Dutton, 49, was detained by the Guardia Civil in La Nucia as part of a joint operation targeting organised crime groups linked to narcotics and document fraud.
In video footage shared online, Sutton is seen being led away by Spanish police officers, during which he gives a thumbs up while looking at the cameraman filming the moment.
The arrest came on the same day British and Spanish authorities jointly launched their ‘Most Wanted’ campaign, aimed at tracking down UK fugitives hiding in Spain.
According to investigators, the operation began in November 2025 after staff at a parcel delivery business in Benidorm discovered a suitcase containing 16kg of hashish destined for the UK.
The woman who sent the package allegedly used fake identification documents.
Police later identified several people connected to the shipment, including Dutton, who was already wanted by British authorities over alleged large-scale cocaine trafficking between Spain and the UK.
One previous police interception linked to the case allegedly uncovered 10.5kg of cocaine worth around £1.5million on the street.
The operation was led by the Guardia Civil’s organised crime and anti-drugs unit in Alicante with support from Spain’s elite UCO fugitives team and Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Three other people were arrested alongside Dutton during raids in Benidorm and La Nucia. Officers seized drugs, around €4,000 in cash, fake documents and two vehicles allegedly used by the group.
Dutton is now expected to appear before Spain’s National Court as British authorities seek his extradition.
The arrest forms part of Operation Captura, a long-running collaboration between UK and Spanish law enforcement agencies that has now been running for 20 years.
Authorities say 98 out of 111 fugitives featured in previous campaigns have already been caught.
British officials said many wanted criminals continue attempting to hide among large expat communities on the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca and Canary Islands.
Rob Jones, Director General of Operations at the NCA, warned: ‘Spain is not a safe haven for fugitives.’
