HMRC has added more names to the list of most wanted tax criminal fugitives, but has succeeded in apprehending just two of the tax evaders identified on the first list issued in 2012.
Anthony Judge, who was wanted for his role in over £350,000 of tax fraud and has been on the run for 10 years, was detained at Heathrow Airport last month as he attempted to enter the UK on a forged passport.
Earlier in the year, John Nugent was apprehended in the US after the authorities there made investigations based on HMRC's information. He had absconded in 2000 after being charged in connection with fraudulent claims for more than £22m in duty and VAT, and is now serving a four and a half year jail sentence imposed in May for an £11m fraud.
HMRC's updated 2013 Most Wanted gallery adds ten new names and faces to the original list of 20. The new arrivals are wanted for a range of crimes including VAT fraud, evasion and money laundering at a cost to the taxpayer which HMRC puts at between £100,000 and £10m.
They include Michael Voudouri, who pleaded guilty at Glasgow high court in relation to money laundering linked to VAT fraud but failed to appear for sentencing. HMRC said Voudouri was believed to be residing in northern Cyprus and was estimated to have cost taxpayers £10m. Also on the list is Anish Anand who is in hiding having failed to appear in court in April in relation to a £6m VAT and film tax credit fraud.
HMRC says the rogues gallery has been viewed over 1.5m times with new intelligence received from the public on the current whereabouts of 17 of the 20 named on the original list.
The department has also launched an interactive map showing where in the world the tax fugitives are believed to be. Likely locations include several parts of the UK, the US, Iran, Italy, Pakistan and Spain.
Chancellor George Osborne said: 'Our message is clear: tax fraud and evasion is illegal and absolutely unacceptable. The government has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in HMRC's enforcement activities to enable them to pursue tax cheats like these relentlessly. We hope that the publication of HMRC's Most Wanted will help get them caught and ensure they are brought to justice.'
Biographies and images of the complete list of 30 Most Wanted can be viewed on HMRC's Flickr channel which also shows the tax fugitive map. Click HERE
