Drug kingpin is arrested at a restaurant in Thailand and deported to the UK

Ben Ransome, 30, was arrested at a restaurant in Thailand after spending two years on the run over drug charges. Described by Essex Police as the kingpin of a major organised crime group, the heavily tattooed fugitive had been living a life of luxury on the island of Phuket. Originally from Wickford near Basildon, Ransome was arrested by Thai police in September 2024 and was deported to the UK in July this year, where he was taken into Essex Police custody.