THE Costa del Crime could once more be the refuge of choice for British villains seeking sanctuary beyond the reach of the law after Brexit.

The introduction of the European Arrest Warrant in 2004 made it easier and quicker to bring back criminals from Spain. But the "heady days of Costa del Sol" crime – like those portrayed by Ray Winstone in the movie Sexy Beast – could return with the end of the extradition agreement, according to European Union Security Commissioner Julian King.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Herald King warned that, post-Brexit, it could become harder to extradite criminals who flee from the UK to EU member states because an end to the arrest warrant would make extradition much more complex and lengthy.

King also highlighted the danger of British criminals fleeing across a seamless Irish border, from north to south, after Brexit.

Graeme Pearson, a former head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, agreed, saying criminal gangs would take advantage of uncertainty over the European warrant after Brexit.

"Organised crime moves at 100mph when there is a change in circumstances, while the establishment moves at 30 mph," he said. Adding that that the loss of the warrant could also make Ireland a "very significant avenue" for criminals fleeing the UK.

"Those involved in the Brexit negotiations needs to think very deeply about this. The backdoor arrangement for Ireland is a significant one," he added.

The Costa del Sol in southern Spain was the favourite sanctuary for notorious fugitives from Britain's underworld. However, since the introduction of the arrest warrant, extradition from within the EU has been simplified and speeded up.

King highlighted the case of drugs baron Mark "Fatboy" Lilley, who became one of the UK’s most wanted men after going on the run from a 23-year jail term in 2000. Police tracked him down to Spain in 2013 and he was quickly returned to the UK.

King said: "The European Arrest Warrant has significantly speeded things up and it's been used for these kind of operations", adding that "1,000 arrests have been made using it. The UK has had a very high level of contribution to that."

SNP MEP Alyn Smith pointed out, "The legal arrangements don't just somehow continue [after Brexit], they stop, unless they're replaced with something else.

"Julian King is absolutely right, our security – from anti-terrorism, to extradition, to the fight against people or drug trafficking and organised crime – depends on EU co-operation and intelligence sharing, and all of that needs to be fixed as it will be lost if Brexit happens.

"The Tories talk a good game on law and order, but they are pulling us out of the most advance judicial and intelligence co-operation in the history of the planet and seem to be entirely blasé about what they will replace it with.

"It is not good enough, and this intervention shows just how much is at stake."

The UK Government has said it want to retain its security co-operation with the EU post-Brexit.

GANGSTERS' PARADISE

Stewart "Specky" Boyd, a major drugs dealer, fled to Spain after serving a prison sentence for intimidating a witness. He had earlier been cleared of murdering Paisley gangster Mark Rennie. He died in a head-on collision driving from Malaga airport in 2003.

Glasgow crime boss Steven Lyons fled to the Costa del Sol after he was wounded in a shooting by the rival Daniels mob at the family garage in Lambhill in 2006. His cousin was killed.

Glaswegian Ian Donaldson was accused of funding his multi-millionaire lifestyle – including a fleet of luxury supercars and villas – by trafficking cocaine from Spain to Scotland. He was cleared in a Spanish court.

Two key figures in Britain's most iconic heist, the Great Train Robbery – Charlie Wilson and Gordon Goody – hid out on the Costa del Crime to avoid the heat. Wilson died in 1990 when a hitman riding a bicycle took him out in Marbella. Goody died of natural causes in Spain aged 85.