A fourth man featured on the National Crime Agency’s recent Most Wanted campaign has been arrested.

Philip Barry Foster, 51, was detained by officers from the Guardia Civil on 17 September in the Alicante area of Spain. Extradition proceedings to return him to the UK are now underway.

Foster, a former soap actor, is wanted to serve an eight-and-a-half year sentence after being convicted of fraud and money laundering. A Trading Standards investigation found that he convinced his victims that they could earn money as professional models, swindling them out of substantial amounts of cash for poor quality, digital photographs that were not usable to secure legitimate work.

After jumping bail, he was convicted and sentenced in his absence in February 2025, leading to a warrant being issued for his arrest. He is the 102nd fugitive to be arrested since the start of the campaign.

Rick Jones, NCA Deputy Director International, said:

“Foster’s arrest demonstrates the continued success of the Most Wanted campaign and our commitment to tracking down criminals wanted by UK law enforcement.

“I would like to recognise the dedicated work of our colleagues in the Guardia Civil who made this arrest possible. The NCA, alongside law enforcement partners will continue to do all we can to ensure fugitives are returned to face justice.”

Wendy Martin, Director, National Trading Standards, said:

“Foster’s cruel exploits left thousands of victims in serious debt, causing lasting emotional distress and significant financial pressures.

“Sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for conspiracies to defraud, his sentence serves as an important reminder to would-be criminals that Trading Standards officers across the country are determined to clamp down on fraud, protecting victims and bringing criminals to justice.”

Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC, Founder and Chair of the charity Crimestoppers, said:

“This arrest shows the value of our joint Most Wanted in Spain campaign with the NCA and other law enforcement partners - and I thank everyone involved.

“Our charity supports the public to speak up anonymously about serious crime, including passing on details about the location of fugitives both here and abroad. Should you know the details of any of the remaining Most Wanted individuals, please contact Crimestoppers via our website crimestoppers-uk.org or call our UK Contact Centre on 0800 555 111. Your information - given anonymously - could make a huge difference.”

The NCA’s Most Wanted campaign is run in conjunction with independent charity Crimestoppers, the Spanish Ministry of Interior, Spanish law enforcement partners and UK policing.

Spain is one of the most popular countries for British ex-pats and the two nations continue to have a very strong law enforcement partnership.

Anyone with information about one of the Most Wanted is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously in the UK on 0800 555 111, and callers in Spain should call the freephone Spanish number 900 926 111, which will be answered by Crimestoppers in the UK (using translation if required).

Alternatively, members of the public can fill out an anonymous online form at the UK charity’s website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/spain.

18 September 2026