One of Britain’s ‘most wanted’ arrested in Malaga municipality of Coin

A British criminal arrested in the Malaga municipality of Coin had been living in plain sight while on the National Crime Agency’s ‘most wanted’ list in the UK.

A 30-year-old British criminal arrested in the Malaga municipality of Coin was living in full view in the Costa del Sol town while listed on the National Crime Agency’s most wanted list. David Ungi fled the UK and settled in Spain eight years ago according to a report today, Saturday, July 23, by The Mirror.

He was detained in a joint operation involving Spain’s National Police, the National Crime Agency, Merseyside Police, and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit.

Ungi now faces extradition back to the UK, where he is alleged to be involved in the unlawful distribution of drugs in the Liverpool area said the NCA. He is believed to have been living near the Sierra de Mijas mountains in the small inland town of Coin for the past five years, sharing a property with three other British men. 

In 2016, 18-year-old Vinny Waddington was shot and killed on Banks Road in the Liverpool district of Garston. Two suspects were subsequently convicted of his murder, but a third person, Ungi, allegedly fled the country 24 hours after the killing.

The fugitive was arrested back in May as he was entering a local gym. A firearm was reportedly found in his bag. He appeared in a Madrid court via video link last Tuesday, July 19, where he opposed any extradition request.

It was revealed that the UK authorities were only chasing Ungi on the drug-related charges. During the hearing, Spanish prosecutors reportedly said they saw no reason to oppose his extradition. Spanish police also detained his three British friends, reportedly on suspicion of helping Ungi to evade the UK authorities.

Residents of the Spanish town of Coin were stunned by the arrest. One told The Mirror: “They didn’t say much but honestly they came across as nice guys. I cannot believe what he’s supposed to have been involved in”.

“Police descended and it was huge. I couldn’t believe what they brought out of that place. David was always really nice. None of them worked. Nobody had any idea they were wanted. He seemed to always go out with a backpack on. Fancy cars would pull up every now and then”, they added.

In a search of Ungi’s rented property, Spanish police reportedly found a firearm along with 15 kilos of cocaine. This led to a court in Coin placing him under formal investigation for possessing a weapon. A subsequent search of the home apparently uncovered 19 kilos of cannabis resin, plus a machine gun.