An elusive drug trafficker was captured in Colombia after a years-long manhunt that led authorities to describe him as "invisible." British national Christopher Neil was arrested last week in the city of Medellin as a result of an operation conducted by local law enforcement and Interpol.
Authorities said he worked to coordinate the shipment of drugs from the South American to the United Kingdom for the Gulf Clan cartel. He is among the so-called "invisibles," a term coined by local authorities to describe traffickers who lay low to avoid being apprehended, in contrast with the lavish lifestyle led by infamous drug lords from decades ago.
Police said Neil had been living in Colombia since late 2018. He is also wanted in the United Kingdom for drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Authorities caught him when he was on his way to make a multi-million-dollar transaction.
The arrest comes shortly after Colombian authorities led the seizure of 225 tons of cocaine, the largest haul ever recorded in a single anti-narcotics operation. The effort, known as Operation Orion, involved 62 countries and resulted in the interception of six semi-submersible vessels, one of which was on a new drug trafficking route to Australia.
The operation confiscated a total of 1,400 tons of illegal drugs. More than 400 people were arrested, and illegal arms shipments and migrant trafficking operations were also disrupted. The cocaine seizure is a significant blow to the global narcotics trade, considering yearly production is estimated at 2,700 tons. This means over 8% of 2024's production was seized in a single operation.
Captain Manuel Rodríguez, director of the Colombian navy's anti-narcotics unit, emphasized the impact of the operation, saying it would prevent thousands of deaths and deprive cartels of an estimated $8.5 billion in revenue.
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