VIDEO: Armed police raid Spanish home of suspected Nottinghamshire drug trafficker

Robert Dawes, 44, originally from Sutton, was arrested at his mansion in Benalmádena (Málaga), by special agents of the Civil Guard, on suspicion of trafficking over a tonne of cocaine, worth €200m (£145m).

The Guardia Civil said the drugs were found in suitcases on a flight from Venezuela to Paris.

Dawes is accused of “leading the largest criminal organisation in the UK and Europe, dedicated to drug trafficking, money laundering and murder”, the authority said.

The suspect is currently being held by French authorities after a joint operation by the Civil Guard, British and French Police Judiciaire NCA (OCRTIS) which began in 2007.

The authorities monitored Dawes in various countries around the world, including his homes in Dubai and Costa Del Sol - where he lived with his family and members of security that made surveillance at home.