A Newcastle man who fled to Tenerife to evade arrest for his role in a large-scale cocaine supply operation has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

William Ions, 53, of Wills Mews, Newcastle, was linked to a Class A drug conspiracy through intelligence gathered from encrypted messages.

William Ions, 53 from Newcastle has been jailed for 12 years William Ions, 53 from Newcastle has been jailed for 12 years (Image: Durham Constabulary) Officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) identified Ions’ involvement and pursued him after he fled the UK, suspecting imminent arrest.

With assistance from the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Spanish authorities, Ions was located in Tenerife and extradited to the UK in July.

He pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court on August 16 to five counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine and six counts of money laundering.

Last Friday, November 22, Ions was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment at the same court.

Detective Inspector Simon Drenon of NEROCU said: “This is a superb result following tireless work from our officers who remain dedicated to identifying and disrupting these illegal drug operations.

"Ions knew his guilt and thought fleeing the country would protect him from justice – we’ve demonstrated this isn’t the case.”

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Neil Keeping, NCA Regional Manager for Spain, added: “William Ions thought he could escape justice by fleeing the UK and hiding abroad. He was mistaken.

"Through the intense efforts of the Spanish National Police and our overseas officers, he was traced to Tenerife and arrested earlier this year.

"This case is further proof that there is nowhere for British fugitives to hide.”

The case is part of Operation Sentinel, a regional crackdown on organised crime.

Police urge anyone with information about drug supply to report it to local authorities or anonymously via Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.