Accused "invisible" cocaine trafficker from U.K. captured in Colombia after years on the run
Colombia arrested a suspected British drug trafficker they described as "invisible" due to his low-key lifestyle that allowed him to remain anonymous while operating as a cartel's coordinator of cocaine trafficking from the South American country to the United Kingdom, authorities said Friday.
Christopher Neil was arrested Thursday in the northwestern city of Medellin in an operation by local law enforcement and Interpol. They accused Neil of working for Colombia's Clan del Golfo (Gulf Clan) cartel.
Colombian authorities have coined the term "invisible drug traffickers" to describe those who operate discreetly, maintaining ordinary, low-profile lives that contrast with the eccentricity of the country's drug lords in the 1980s and 1990s.
Colombia's National Police said Neil had lived in Colombia since December 2018. The agency said he is wanted in the United Kingdom, where he faces trafficking and money laundering accusations.
Police said they followed a car that moved through Medellin before arresting Neil. They said a multi-million-dollar transaction between the United Kingdom and Colombia played a key role in catching the suspect.
It was not immediately clear Friday if Neil had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
The arrest comes just weeks after Italian police announced the arrest in Colombia of a dangerous fugitive accused of being the intermediary between the Latin American country's drug cartels and the Naples mafia. In announcing his arrest, Italian police released a photo of Belvedere visiting the grave of Pablo Escobar, the founder and boss of the Medellin cartel, who was killed by police in 1993.
Earlier this year, a Norwegian man dubbed "The Profesor" who is accused of leading a crime ring that trafficked cocaine from South America to Europe on sailboats was captured in Colombia. Police said Pazooki Farhad, like Neil, also had criminal links with the Gulf Clan.
In 2022, the Gulf Clan shut down dozens of towns in northern Colombia for four days in reaction to its leader being extradited to the U.S. for trial. It warned that anyone who disobeyed the stay-at-home order risked being shot or having their vehicle burned.
