ONE of Britain's most wanted men has been seized by cops in Spain - but he will be familiar to Huddersfield.
Ronald Priestley, 69, was detained in Malaga yesterday afternoon in connection with currency counterfeiting offences worth £4.25 million.
Leeds-born Priestley is the 25th person to be arrested under Operation Captura, an initiative to catch criminals wanted in the UK who are on the run in Spain.
Priestly, who is wanted by West Yorkshire Police, was featured in the first appeals under Operation Captura in October 2006, a Crimestoppers spokeswoman said.
He was detained under a European Arrest Warrant and could be brought back to Britain to face charges within 10 days.
Robbie Bulloch, justice and home affairs attache at the British Embassy in Madrid said: "This arrest is an important reminder that large-scale fraud is a serious offence which does harm ordinary people.
"Thanks to the great public response to the Captura campaign, the pressure on criminals on the run in Spain is stronger than ever."
When he returns to Britain, Priestley could face up to 16 years in prison.
He has convictions for producing counterfeit goods dating back to 1994.
In 2002 he was sentenced to eight years in prison after police raided his home and factories in Huddersfield, finding thousands of bottles of fake perfume and Spanish sparkling wine re-labelled as champagne.
Priestley is wanted for failing to attend Leeds Crown Court to face trial for his alleged part in the production of counterfeit banknotes with a face value of £4.25 million, Crimestoppers said.
In February 2006 he was convicted in his absence to eight years in prison.
He has previously lived in Leeds and is also believed to have connections in Manchester, Blackpool, Liverpool, Glasgow, London and Ireland.
Tomorrow's Examiner will have the full story of Priestley's arrest in Spain and his outrageous scams in Huddersfield
