A fugitive wanted in connection with the gangland murder of a father-of-two has been arrested in Portugal.
Callum Halpin, 27, was held by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) on Tuesday evening and remains in custody ahead of extradition to the UK.
Halpin had been on the NCA “Most Wanted” list after the shooting of Luke Graham, 31, in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, in June 2018.
Mr Graham, nicknamed “Tank”, was ambushed and shot in broad daylight on a residential street as children played nearby.
Callum Halpin has been arrested in Portugal
PA
A second man was also shot but fled the scene.
Wade Cox, 29, was jailed for life with a minimum of 36 years for the murder, a result of a drug-dealing turf war.
Four others were also jailed.
Detective Inspector Lee Barrow, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “News of Callum Halpin’s arrest is an important development in our investigation and we will work closely with the NCA and other relevant international agencies to bring him back to Greater Manchester and continue our pursuit of justice for Luke’s family.
“Halpin has been on the run since Luke was fatally shot on that tragic day nearly four years ago and it has been our intention ever since to ensure all those suspected of being responsible for his death are caught and prosecuted.
“I want to thank partners from the National Crime Agency for their work in arresting Halpin and I know this will send a strong message to fugitives – and also the public – that we are totally committed to working with law enforcement agencies across the world to ensure those wanted are caught wherever they try to hide, and ultimately face the serious charges they are accused of.”
Steve Reynolds, NCA regional manager in Spain, said: “Callum Halpin’s arrest was made possible after some superb partnership work between the NCA and our Portuguese counterparts to whom we are extremely grateful.
“Halpin’s arrest comes only 48 hours after another fugitive was arrested in Portugal.
“These arrests should serve as a warning to other fugitives and most wanted subjects that we will not stop until they are captured.”