Gangster wanted in UK for selling guns, drugs held in Dubai

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Dubai - The Briton was sentenced to life in prison after a court found him guilty of various crimes.

By Staff Report

Published: Wed 29 Jul 2020, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Thu 30 Jul 2020, 4:02 PM

A gangster wanted in the UK for smuggling drugs and selling guns has been arrested in Dubai, the police announced on Wednesday. The police said Craig Martin Moran is the head of a gang called 'Colin Gunn'.
The Briton was sentenced to life in prison after a court found him guilty of various crimes. A red-list Interpol notice was issued against Moran.
The Dubai Police have extradited the gangster to the UK "as per procedures laid out by international laws".
The operation
Maj.-Gen. Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansoori, assistant commander for criminal investigation, said a police team was formed to track and arrest the gangster after the Interpol notice was issued. The police swooped in on his accommodation in Dubai "using artificial intelligence and data analysis".
"The team started to closely monitor all movements of the accused. The police arrested him near his car as he attempted to leave his accommodation. He did not have any chance to escape or resist arrest," the officer added.
Long criminal record
Moran was jailed first when he was 16 years old and "several times after". During an armed robbery at a jewellery store in Tottenham, he killed a 64-year-old woman. British media reports said the deceased was trying to protect her daughter from the armed robbers when she was shot. He was jailed for 13 years for this crime.
The Dubai Police said they have arrested and extradited 52 internationally wanted criminals including those wanted in Holland, Belgium, the UK, Sweden, Australia, Pakistan, India and China.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had recently thanked the Dubai Police for their cooperation in the arrest of Raymond Abbas, known as 'Hushpuppi', and Olalekan Jacob Ponle 'Woodberry'. The special operation dubbed 'Fox Hunt 2' took down the suspects for committing crimes like money-laundering, cyber fraud, hacking, criminal impersonation, banking fraud and identity theft.
In June, the police had arrested Danish national Amir Faten Mekky, who was a dreaded gang leader of one of the most dangerous international crime rings that is involved in murder, drug trafficking and money laundering.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com