Dubai, Amsterdam and the Costa del Sol: Where the most wanted were captured Joe Thomas
The past year saw a number of overseas arrests as detectives worked with colleagues across the world to track down fugitives linked to investigations connected to the region.
Dramatic swoops saw suspects detained in a host of settings - from being pulled from a Dutch taxi to being taken from resorts on the Costa del Sol.
Many have since been extradited back to the UK - or are in the process of being returned.
This is an overview of some of those arrests carried out on behalf of local detectives.
Warrants were executed at addresses in Upton, Poulton, Prenton and Noctorum. Drugs mixing agents, a large quantity of cash, 5,000 cigarettes and a number of high value watches were recovered.
The following men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A controlled drugs between March and June 2020.
A 45-year-old man from Upton
A 37-year-old man from Prenton
A 40-year-old man from Prenton
A 23-year-old man from Birkenhead
A 67-year-old man from Upton All five have been taken into custody where they will be questioned by detectives. The arrests form part of the Merseyside Police response to Operation Venetic, a national investigation into the use of encrypted mobile devices, commonly referred to as Encrochat.
Plymouth drug courier jailed after trips to Mexico, Thailand and US
The two-year investigation has now seen 31 gang members sentenced for their part in a large-scale drugs conspiracy
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