‘Conman who posed as MI6 spy’ extradited back to Britain

ONE of Britain’s most wanted fugitives has been extradited from Switzerland to face fraud charges.

Mark Acklom, 5, allegedly posed as an MI6 agent and Swiss banker to fleece a woman out of her £850,000 life savings.

He fled Britain in 2012 but was arrested in Zurich last summer.

Acklom, 5, is due to appear before Bristol magistrates today to face 20 fraud offences.

He is said to have duped divorcee Carolyn Woods into loaning him the money during a year-long relationship in Bath in 2012.

A European Arrest Warrant was issued for Acklom three years ago and he was believed to have been in Spain having been released from a Spanish prison over a £200,000 property fraud.

In May last year he was spotted in Switzerland, where he was believed to have been with his family.

Acklom, pictured, was escorted from Geneva to Bristol airport by specially-trained officers on Friday, Avon and Somerset Police said. He had been named as one of the UK’s ten most wanted fugitives as part of Operation Captura, a multi-agency initiative involving the National Crime Agency and Crimestoppers to track down British fugitives abroad.

A spokesman for the NCA said they had worked closely with partners in Switzerland and Avon and Somerset Police to bring about the extradition and put Acklom before the British courts.

He is accused of 12 offences of converting or removing criminal property and eight of fraud by false representation.

Chief inspector Gary Haskins of Avon and Somerset Police said: ‘No matter where suspected criminals are in the world we will always do everything we can to track them down and bring them back to face justice.’

Ian Cruxton, head of international operations for the NCA, said: ‘We have worked closely with our partners in Switzerland and Avon and Somerset Police to bring about this extradition and put Mark Acklom before the UK courts.

‘The NCA’s international reach means there is no safe place to hide for individuals wanted in the UK.’