Accused 'invisible' UK cocaine trafficker captured in Colombia after years on the run

The largest ever "drug submarine" discovered off Colombia

The largest "drug submarine" detected off Colombia 00:45

Colombia has arrested a suspected British drug trafficker they described as "invisible" because of his low-key lifestyle that allowed him to remain anonymous while acting as the coordinator of a cocaine-trafficking cartel from the South American country to the United Kingdom, authorities said Friday.

Christopher Neal was arrested Thursday in the northwestern city of Medellin in an operation by local law enforcement and Interpol. They accused Neal of working for Columbia Gulf Clan poster.

Colombian authorities have coined the term "invisible drug traffickers" to describe those who operate discreetly, maintaining an ordinary, low-profile life that contrasts with the eccentricities of the country's drug lords in the 1980s and 1990s.

Colombia National Police said Neal had been living in Colombia since December 2018. The agency said he was wanted in the United Kingdom, where he faces charges of trafficking and money laundering.

Police said they tracked a car that was driving through Medellin before arresting Neal. They said a multi-million dollar transaction between the UK and Colombia played a key role in capturing the suspect.

Colombia, a British drug trafficker
This photo released by the press center of Colombia's national police shows who they identified as British national Christopher Neil, known by the alias "Dips," center, as shown to the press in Medellin, Colombia, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. / AP

It was unclear Friday if Neal had an attorney available to comment on his behalf.

The arrest comes just weeks after Italian police announced arrest in Colombia of a dangerous fugitive accused of being an intermediary between the drug cartels of the Latin American country and the Mafia in Naples. In announcing his arrest, the Italian police posted a picture from Belvedere, visiting the grave of Pablo Escobar, the founder and boss of the Medellin cartel, who was killed by the police in 1993.

Earlier this year, a Norwegian doubled "The Professor" who is accused of leading a criminal group that trafficked cocaine from South America to Europe on sailboats captured in Colombia. Police said Pazuki Farhad, like Neil, also had criminal links with the Gulf clan.

In 2022 The Gulf Clan shut down dozens of cities in northern Colombia for four days in response to its leader being extradited to the US for trial. It warned that anyone who disobeyed the stay-at-home order risked being shot or having their car torched.



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