International hunt for criminals on run

AN INTERNATIONAL manhunt is under way for a convicted robber and a suspected drug smuggler who have fled Yorkshire for mainland Europe.

Crimestoppers revealed yesterday that Leeds men Brian Waite and Edward Morton were among six fugitives known to be on the run in the Netherlands.

Waite, 39, was serving an 11-year jail sentence for robbery, arson and handling stolen goods when he escaped from prison in 2006.

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He was jailed after taking part in the robbery of 25,000 from a Securicor van and torching the stolen getaway vehicle.

Det Insp Peter Darbyshire, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "Brian Waite is a member of a West Yorkshire organised crime group.

"His serious criminality caused harm to a number of communities throughout the UK."

Morton, 36, is thought to be a "pivotal" member of a gang involved in importing cocaine into the UK. Police believe he has also conspired to supply amphetamines.

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He is white, 5ft 9in tall, of medium build and has blue eyes. He has a scar on the left side of his chin.

Waite is white, 5ft 11in tall, of medium build with green eyes.

Crimestoppers, together with the Serious Organised Crime Agency and Dutch officials, have launched a campaign calling on the public to provide information about the wanted men.

It follows a similar fugitive campaign, Operation Captura, which helped police find British criminals hiding in Spanish hotspots.

Anyone with information should call 0800 555111 in the UK or 0800 7000 in the Netherlands.