After years on the run, a British criminal leader was apprehended in Thailand.

Thai police claimed Sunday that a British mafia lord has been apprehended in Thailand after being on the run for five years.

Richard Wakeling left the United Kingdom in 2018 after attempting to smuggle £8 million ($9.6 million) worth of liquid amphetamine into the nation in 2016.

The 55-year-old was sentenced to 11 years in prison in absentia and put on the British National Crime Agency’s (NCA) “most wanted” list.

Wakeling, originally from Essex county in southeast England, was apprehended on Friday in Bangkok by the Central Investigation Bureau in collaboration with the NCA.

“He had been visiting Thailand on a regular basis since 1993, but after being charged, he changed his identity and passport’s nationality to Irish, which is why it didn’t show up on the system,” a senior Thai police official involved in the arrest told AFP.

“We apprehended him and questioned whether he was Richard as listed on the warrant, and he verified it,” the officer said.

He stated that Wakeling would be hauled to court on Monday to commence the extradition procedure.

According to authorities, he had been residing in the beach tourist town of Hua Hin for many years.

The NCA has already requested information on his location.