East Lancashire's 'most wanted' man in South Africa

Michael Donnelly, who is wanted for his alleged part in a conspiracy to supply cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis, is on the run in Cape Town, South Africa, detectives said.

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The 42-year-old, from the Mill Hill area of Blackburn, fled the country as officers swooped on an organised crime gang peddling illegal drugs across the North West.

Officers estimate the conspiracy to be worth more than £1million.

Detectives have submitted a formal extradition request to bring Donnelly, who had been living in Barrowford, but is known to regularly visit Mill Hill where his family lives, back to East Lancashire for questioning.

They are now working with officers in South Africa to find out exactly where he is. It is thought the father-of-one specifically targeted the country because he knows somebody there who is helping him to evade capture.

Det Insp Martin Kane, from the serious and organised crime unit, said: “Michael Donnelly is East Lancashire’s most wanted man.

“I have a dedicated team looking to track him down and it is only a matter of time before we locate and arrest him.”

During the trial of another gang member, Preston Crown Court heard how unemployed Donnelly was running an underground drugs business with dealers Darren Bowling, from Colne Road, Barrowford, and Paul Bell, from Cheadle, who have both already admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, class B drugs and money laundering.

They will be sentenced on October 10 alongside Robert Wright, 49, of Bankfield Road, Sale, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, and Stephen Barton, 42, of Brandy House Brow, Blackburn, who was convicted of conspiracy to supply class B drugs.

Shaun McDonald, 37, of Colshaw Road, Manchester, was a courier for Bell, who had only been out of prison for a short while after being sentenced to 20 years in 2003 for being part of a gang that imported drugs with a street value of £200million, when he got involved with the conspiracy.

McDonald admitted being in possession with intent to supply 15kgs of amphetamine and money laundering in October 2013 and was sentenced to three years four months behind bars.

Also involved in the conspiracy was Mark Waring, 39 of Peel Mount, Blackburn. He was described as a courier for Donnelly and pleaded guilty in December 2013 to possession with intent to supply 2kgs of cocaine and production of cannabis. He was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

DI Kane said he believed Donnelly who lived in a two-bedroomed apartment in a gated community in Clough Springs, Barrowford suspected he was wanted by the police when the group was rumbled and left the country.

They know he took an Emirates flight from Manchester Airport to South Africa via Dubai on September 22. There are no direct flights from the UK airport to Cape Town International.

He used his own passport and had been using his bank cards in Cape Town until other gang members were arrested on January 13.

The officer said: “I suspect Donnelly thought that he was already wanted by the serious and organised crime unit.

“This unit is very experienced at tracking down fugitives and we have a 100 per cent record of locating and arresting them.

“We are also actively investigating individuals who may be assisting Donnelly whilst he is on the run and if we identify anyone, they may be arrested too.”

The serious and organised crime unit has previously been involved in extraditing fugitives from Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia and Nigeria.

The extradition laws in South Africa mean officers in the UK must track Donnelly down first before they can file the papers and local police arrest him.

Once that has been done, DI Kane and members of his team will fly out to bring him back to England.

He said: “I have already submitted an extradition request to the UK authorities and therefore will be in a position to bring him back to the UK following formal proceedings in the country that he is arrested in.”

DI Kane also appealed to Donnelly directly to hand himself in.

He said: “My message to Donnelly is quite simple. Make contact with Lancashire Police and give yourself up.

“If not, we will track you down and formally extradite you to the UK to face trial.”

Anybody with any information on Donnelly’s whereabouts should call Det Insp Kane on 01772 416122 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 .