Colombia arrested a suspected British drug trafficker they described as “invisible” due to his low-key lifestyle, which allowed him to remain anonymous while allegedly operating as a cartel’s co-ordinator of cocaine trafficking from the South American country to the United Kingdom, authorities said on Friday.
Christopher Neil was arrested on Thursday in the north-west city of Medellin in an operation by local law enforcement and Interpol.
Neil is alleged to have been working for Colombia’s Clan del Golfo cartel.
Colombian authorities have coined the term “invisible drug traffickers” to describe those who operate discreetly, maintaining ordinary, low-profile lives that contrast with the eccentricity of the country’s drug lords in the 1980s and 1990s.
Colombia’s National Police said Neil had lived in Colombia since December 2018.
The agency said he is wanted in the United Kingdom, where he faces allegations of trafficking and money laundering.
Police said they followed a car that moved through Medellin before arresting Neil.
They said a multimillion-dollar transaction between the United Kingdom and Colombia played a key role in catching the suspect.
It was not immediately clear if Neil had a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.