Police on the hunt for these drug criminals

These are the north of England’s most wanted men, who are being hunted for a series of shocking drugs offences.

Detectives battling to stem the tide of drugs on the streets have issued a plea for help tracking down six of the illicit drug world’s most elusive faces (see them in our gallery which you can navigate using the arrow buttons).

Some of them have been on the run for years after being convicted of serious offences involving deadly class A drugs while others are wanted for questioning.

Last night Roger Critchell director of operations at independent charity Crimestoppers called on Sunday Post readers to help track them down.

He said: “Crimestoppers passed almost 50,000 pieces of information to law enforcement last year concerning drug related crime, accounting for almost half of all information we passed on.

“Money from drug related offences is often used to fund serious crime, so I’d urge anyone with information on these individuals to come forward anonymously, safe in the knowledge that their identity will never be revealed.”

In 2010 Shahid Mushtaq, 47, from Preston, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine after being snared handing over half a kilo of the class A drug in a Manchester car park, with it destined for Lancashire.

But he fled before his sentencing and officers have been hunting him ever since. He is believed to own properties in Spain and Pakistan as well as having various links in Lancashire.

His accomplice Abdul Khan, 43, was sentenced to nine years in jail but also went on the run.

Lancashire’s detectives are also hunting 40-year-old Polish national Dariosz Tomasiak, who served a jail sentence for growing cannabis but brazenly ignored the conditions of his release and slipped off cops’ radar in 2009.

He could be in East Lancashire but it is believed he also travels to Europe.

Meanwhile in Hartlepool, Cleveland Police are hunting for 38-year-old Antony Robson on suspicion of possession of class A drug with intent to sell it and growing cannabis.

Officers in Middlesbrough have been thwarted in their attempts to track down 42-year-old Neill Thygesen who is wanted in connection with a conspiracy to import class B drugs last year.

He is from Billingham but has extensive contacts throughout the UK including West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

Despite numerous attempts to snare Thygesen, including being named as one of Crimestoppers’ “Most Wanted”, he has evaded detectives for more than a year.

Officers in Durham saw drugs farm suspect Jason Puccio, 41, slip their grasp when they raided his Bishop Auckland home and found a cannabis farm.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.