A FRESH appeal has been issued for the capture of two Glasgow men thought to be hiding in the 'Costa del Crime', one of whom is wanted in connection with the murder of Glasgow gangster Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll.
Operation Captura has listed William ‘Buff’ Paterson among the 10 most-wanted UK fugitives in Spain. Paterson is wanted by police for questioning following the fatal shooting of gangland enforcer Carroll in a super-market car park in the north of Glasgow in January 2009.
Also sought by the organised crime operation is Derek McGraw Ferguson, 47, who is being sought in connection with the murder of Thomas Cameron in 2007 at the Auchinairn Tavern in Bishopbriggs.
The 49-year-old victim was working as a barman at the pub at the time of his murder, and police have said it was likely he knew his killer. Mr Cameron’s 20-year-old son was killed at a party 18 months earlier.
So far the two “most wanted” have evaded the authorities. Both have European Arrest Warrants (EAW) issued against them, and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) issued an appeal for information some eight months ago.
EAWs have been in place since 2004 and, in these cases, will require Spanish police to arrest and transfer the suspects to the UK.
While it is believed that Paterson and Ferguson are hiding out in Spain, more intelligence is required regarding their exact whereabouts.
Described by police as dangerous and violent, Paterson, 32, is around 6ft 1ins, with red or auburn hair and blue eyes.
The renewed appeal for Paterson comes as 29-year-old Ross Monaghan, of Glasgow, prepares to stand trial for his alleged part in the Carroll murder and the possession of a Ruger .357 Magnum gun and a 9mm self-loading pistol.
Carroll was allegedly linked to underworld figures involved in drug dealing, stolen cars and firearms, and reportedly raided and tortured rival dealers, sometimes posing as a police officer.
Ferguson, who also goes by the alias of William Murdoch Henderson, is said to have several distinguishing features. He is of short build, around 5ft 2ins and has a tattoo on his left arm of a heart, arrow and dagger. Part of his left ear is missing.
Police officers have warned that they too consider him dangerous and violent.
The appeals have been issued by Crimestoppers, which is working on Operation Captura with Soca and officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Madrid.
Lord Ashcroft, founder and chairman of Crimestoppers, said: “Operation Captura is a unique partnership that has seen huge success in bringing some of the UK’s most-wanted fugitives to justice.
“A small number of suspected criminals see Spain as a safe place to evade law enforcement but, thanks to the confidence the UK, Spanish and ex-pat communities have in Crimestoppers, these individuals will not be able to escape justice for much longer.”
Also on the most wanted list is paedophile Dominic Powell, aged around 50, whose where-abouts are unknown after he failed to notify authorities of his intension to travel as part of his restrictions as a very high risk registered sex offender.
Powell is likely to target vulnerable females with children and presents a significant risk of serious sexual harm to male and female children. He is likely to be using an alias and is very likely to have changed his appearance to avoid capture.
The most-wanted list also includes three men who escaped before or during their trial.
Andrew Terrence Moran, 29, vaulted over the dock as he stood trial in 2009 for carrying out a £25,000 armed robbery. He was convicted in his absence but is thought to have fled to Spain.
Kirk Bradley, 26, and Tony Downes, 25, escaped from a prison van in Manchester en route to Liverpool Crown Court, where they were facing charges of conspiracy to possess firearms to endanger life and conspiracy to damage property with intent to endanger life. They are both said to be “dangerous and violent”.
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