Most wanted: 10 of the world's most notorious criminals still at large

Jul 27 2008

THERE was jubilation last week as Radovan Karadzic - the most wanted man in Europe - was snared after 13 years on the run.

The 63-year-old Serbian faces trial at the Hague for a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" in the former Yugoslavia.

The worst crimes on his indictment are the 43-month siege of Sarajevo in which 10,000 civilians were killed and the massacre of 7000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in July 1995.

But there are still thousands of fugitives around the globe. They include terrorists, killers, drug smugglers and war criminals.

They remain at large despite many having multi-million dollar bounties on their heads.

Here we look at the world's most wanted - ten of the most evil and dangerous men on the run.

  

Hassan al-Bashir, dictator

THE UN says the ethnic cleansing unleashed by Sudanese dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir left 300,000 dead and 2.5million homeless in the Darfur region, where his regime used rape as an instrument of terror.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo requested a warrant to arrest him on 10 charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity but critics said it would make matters worse for the people of Darfur.

Last week al-Bashir, 63, danced in front of a massive crowd and made a defiant speech during a visit to Darfur.

  

Augustin Bizimana, war chief

SO far 83 people wanted for genocide by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (UN-ICTR) have been apprehended.

Augustin Bizimana is the most senior of the remaining 13 still at large.

The 54-year-old former defence minister faces charges over the massacre of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994.

Six years ago the US offered a $5million reward for his capture but he has evaded justice.

  

Asil Nadir - fled with £34 million

ASIL NADIR, 67, fled to Northern Cyprus following the 1990 collapse of his Polly Peck business empire in the UK.

He was prosecuted on various counts of theft and fraud but failed to appear for trial in 1993 having absconded to the unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - which has no extradition treaty with the UK.

He is wanted on theft charges of £34million. In 2003, he vowed to return to clear his name but refused until the British Government promised not to remand him in jail until his trial.

    

Osama bin Laden - the No.1 fugitive

THE man behind the world's worst terror attack continues to evade justice almost seven years after 9/11.

Osama bin Laden, 51, admits planning the destruction of Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, in which 3000 people died.

The Saudi Arabian founder of the jihadist group al-Qaeda has also been indicted over the 1998 embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya. There is a Û50million reward on his head. His most likely whereabouts is around the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

  

Ratko Mladic - $5million bounty

RATKO MLADIC, 66, was Bosnian Serb leader Karadzic's army chief and a key figure in the ethnic cleansing of Croats and Muslims.

He was indicted for genocide by the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (UN-ICTY) at The Hague in 1995.

The Serbian government is offering $1million for his capture while the USA is offering $5million.

He is one of only two of 161 people wanted by UN-ICTY who remain free.

The other is Goran Hadzic, who faces 14 counts of war crimes.

   

Noel Cunningham - £1.2m heist

GANGLAND figure Noel Cunnhingham escaped from a prison transport van in June 2003.

He and Clifford Hobbs, both 47, were being taken from Brixton Prison to face charges over the £1.25million security van heist. Two unknown armed men shot one guard and pistol whipped another.

In February, Hobbs was convicted of using a gun to escape from the van. He was snared in Spain and police are confident they'll get Cunningham.

Det Supt Bob Cummings vowed: "He will have his day in court."

  

James J Bulger - crime boss

IRISH-AMERICAN crime boss James J Bulger - linked to 18 murders - has evaded the FBI for nine years.

Known as Whitey, the 78-year-old Boston crook is on the US 10 most wanted list for drug dealing, money laundering, extortion, murder and other organised crime.

He is an avid reader with an interest in history and is known to use disguises to frequent libraries and historic sites.

The FBI is offering $1million for information leading to his arrest.

   

Dr Aribert Heim - aka Dr Death

KNOWN as Dr Death, SS officer Dr Aribert Heim is accused of killing and torturing inmates at the Mauthausen concentration camp.

Now 94, his methods included injecting toxic compounds into the hearts of victims and performing surgery without anaesthetic. He is one of the last major Nazi fugitives at large.

He fled Germany in 1962. This month, it was revealed he was living in Chile. A $495,000 reward is being offered by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and German and Austrian governments.

  

Joaquin Loera - drug lord

MEXICAN Joaquin Guzman Loera is the top target of America's Drug Enforcement Administration.

Also known as Shorty, the 54-year-old heads the Sinaloa Cartel international drug traffickers - a major global organisation. He reputedly pays up to $2million to lieutenants who keep him safe and is said to change mobile phones after each conversation.

Loera follows the Sinaloan credo of not killing innocent people and is regarded there as a Robin Hood-type character.

  

Andrei Lugovoi - ex-spy

FORMER KGB spy Andrei Lugovoi, 42, is wanted in the UK for the murder of former solider and spy Alexander Litvinenko, who died in November 2006 after being poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 in London.

The Crown Prosecution Service says it has enough evidence to charge Lugovoi but the Russians refuse to hand him over.

He protests his innocence from Moscow and claims MI6 spies, the Russian mafia or Kremlin opponent Boris Berezovsky carried out the killing.