Gang leader Curtis Warren held over alleged order breach after release

Curtis Warren was arrested earlier in Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside

A convicted gang leader who was jailed for drug trafficking and ordered to pay almost £200m to the government of Jersey has been arrested on suspicion of breaching the terms of his release.

Liverpool's Curtis Warren was jailed for 13 years in 2009 and served with a confiscation order for his assets.

The 60-year-old was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside, earlier.

He was held on suspicion of breaching a serious crime prevention order.

The NCA said the order came into force after his release from prison "for drug trafficking offences" and the breaches under investigation related to "the unauthorised use of mobile phones, vehicles, bank accounts and travel".

The NCA shared a picture of the arrest and said breaching an order could carry a five-year prison sentence

The agency said officers had also carried out searches at properties in Boldon and at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool.

It said "mobile devices, documents and a quantity of cash" were seized and were being examined by investigators.

It added that breaching a serious crime prevention order was a criminal offence "subject to a maximum sentence of five years, an unlimited fine, or both".

Alison Abbott, from the NCA's lifetime management of offenders team, said the orders were a "vital" tool for preventing and deterring future offending".

"Once criminals come on to our radar, they never leave, and the NCA will take action over breaches," she added.

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