Dramatic footage has been released of a raid on the Spanish home of Robert Dawes, a British man accused of running Europe's largest drug-trafficking network. The 44-year-old from Nottinghamshire is being held by French authorities on suspicion of trafficking over a tonne of cocaine worth €200m (£145m).
Spanish police describe Dawes as the head of Europe's 'largest criminal organisation dedicated to drug trafficking, money laundering and murder'. The seized cocaine arrived in France hidden in suitcases on a flight from South America. Police believe he worked with South American drug cartels and the Italian Mafia, and exported large quantities of heroin to the UK from Afghanistan and Turkey.
Dawes is also being investigated over a series of drug-related murders in the Netherlands. He was arrested last month and extradited to France after police raided his home in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol. The international operation also seized boats and planes.
Originally from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Dawes was wanted for international drug trafficking. He and his brother John were linked to Nottinghamshire kingpin Gary Hardy, who was jailed for 20 years for drugs offences in 2008.
