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| Fugitive ostrich farm fraudster Martin Evans held in South Africa | Fugitive ostrich farm fraudster Martin Evans held in South Africa |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fugitive conman, drug dealer and money launderer Martin Evans has been arrested in South Africa after three years on the run. | Fugitive conman, drug dealer and money launderer Martin Evans has been arrested in South Africa after three years on the run. |
| The National Crime Agency has confirmed that Evans, 52, from Swansea, who was jailed for 21 years in 2006, was held on Saturday. | The National Crime Agency has confirmed that Evans, 52, from Swansea, who was jailed for 21 years in 2006, was held on Saturday. |
| His scams included swindling 87 investors of £900,000 in an ostrich farm fraud in south Wales. | His scams included swindling 87 investors of £900,000 in an ostrich farm fraud in south Wales. |
| Evans was one of the UK's most wanted fugitives. | Evans was one of the UK's most wanted fugitives. |
| Police named him as one of the UK's "most wanted" in 2012 and said they suspected he was living a life of luxury, probably on Cyprus. | Police named him as one of the UK's "most wanted" in 2012 and said they suspected he was living a life of luxury, probably on Cyprus. |
| An NCA spokesman the work to find him, Operation Zygos, had led them to South Africa. | An NCA spokesman the work to find him, Operation Zygos, had led them to South Africa. |
| Double-glazing | |
| He said: "We knew he had moved to South Africa. We were tracking him down." | He said: "We knew he had moved to South Africa. We were tracking him down." |
| Evans disappeared in August 2011 after failing to return from a weekend release from prison in Wiltshire. | Evans disappeared in August 2011 after failing to return from a weekend release from prison in Wiltshire. |
| It is not the first time Evans has been on the run. | |
| Before he jailed in 2006, he had been hiding in Holland and Spain, where he masterminded a drugs and money laundering operation, shipping at least £3m of ecstasy and cocaine into Britain. | |
| Evans began his criminal career in the mid 90s after his double-glazing firm in Port Talbot failed. | |
| He and his wife set up an ostrich-breeding business, promising profits of 70% a year, and targeting newly-retired people for investment cash by advertising in specialist retirement magazines. | |
| On the day their trial was due to start in Swansea in March 2000, Evans jumped bail and sent a fax to the court saying he would not be attending. | |
| Criminal earnings | |
| He went on the run for the first time as the authorities searched for his assets in Jersey and the Bahamas. | |
| Evans was caught in November 2001 while trying to enter the US on a false passport. | |
| At his 2006 trial at Swansea Crown Court, Evans was sentenced to 24 years in jail, but this was reduced to 21 years three months on appeal. | |
| Evans was also given a separate sentence of eight years for failure to comply with a £4.5m confiscation order which the court heard would "extinguish" his criminal earnings. | |
| The jury was told an investigation had identified Evans owned a property in Swansea, a £2m villa in Marbella and had bank accounts in Latvia, Antigua, Switzerland, Dominica as well as the UK. | |
| Evans, a former Young Businessman of the Year for Wales, was brought up in Pontardulais, Swansea. |