Drug smuggler returned to Britain

A fugitive drug smuggler, on the run from British authorities, has been returned to the UK, after he was arrested in the Canary Islands.

Gary Vickery

Gary Vickery, 38, had previously admitted being a key player in a multi-million pound criminal network, involved in smuggling class A and B drugs into the UK.

He also admitted charges of money laundering but in July this year, he failed to attend court, where he was due to be remanded into custody.

He was arrested in Lanzarote two months later by the Spanish Guardia Civil.

Originally from Dublin, Vickery had been living in Solihull before he fled the UK.

He was escorted back to Britain by officers from the National Crime Agency on Thursday and was due to appear in court in Ipswich on Friday.

Vickery’s co-accused, Thomas Kavanagh, 53, from Tamworth and Daniel Canning, 42, originally from Dublin, are both in custody awaiting sentencing.

They have also pleaded guilty to conspiring to import class A and B drugs and money laundering.

Canning also pleaded guilty to the possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Canning and Vickery were both released under investigation following their initial arrest in 2017.

Kavanagh was already in custody serving a sentence for separate offences.

After guilty pleas were accepted on 6 July, Canning voluntarily surrendered to the Court the following month.

By this time, Vickery had fled the country and made repeated excuses for not returning, including COVID travel restrictions.

A warrant was eventually issued for his arrest and he was detained by Spanish authorities on 20 October.