County Durham drug dealer arrested in Europe after 18 months on the run
Darren Towler, 42, was caught near the Croatian and Serbian border
One of County Durham’s most wanted fugitives has been arrested in Eastern Europe after spending nearly 18 months on the run.
Darren Towler, formerly of Consett, was arrested on Saturday, August 5 near the Croatian and Serbian border.
Towler, whose last known address was Rutherford Street, in Newcastle, remains in custody awaiting extradition proceedings.
The 42-year-old former cage fighter orchestrated a sophisticated drugs conspiracy which saw criminals smuggle millions of pounds worth of drugs into County Durham from Merseyside.
An investigation by officers from Durham Constabulary’s Specialist Crime Operations Unit (SCOU) found the gang to be exchanging ‘industrial scale quantities’ of drugs for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Led by Towler, the conspiracy involved the use of burner and encrypted phones and frequent communications to transport cash and drugs across the country.
Officers identified more than ten trips between the North East and North West over a five-month period in 2017.
Following the extensive police investigation, 11 people appeared at Teesside Crown Court in October last year to be sentenced for their role in the conspiracy.
Towler was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and amphetamine but admitted the same charge for cannabis.
He failed to appear at court but was jailed for 24 years in his absence.
A Durham Constabulary spokesman said:
“This arrest shows that there is no hiding place for anyone who is evading police.
“Working with our colleagues at the National Crime Agency, Towler is now facing extradition back to the UK to serve his prison sentence.
“To anyone who is causing fear and harm in our community and thinks they can get away with it – we will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find you, we will always catch up with you and bring you to justice.”
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