Sarah Panitzke, the only woman ever to appear on the UK's 'most wanted' list, has been caught and arrested after a decade on the run, whilst out on a dog walk in Santa Barbara, Spain. The 47-year-old was wanted by police for her involvement in a money laundering scheme, which saw the turn over of more than £1 billion.
The scheme saw unsuspecting victims targeted through a mobile phone tax scam and Panitzke, who is originally from Fulford in York, disappeared in May 2013 during the course of her trial. Despite her absence, she was found guilty and sentenced in her absence to eight years imprisonment. It's reported by The Independent that 17 others were also sentenced at the same time as her, all of whom began serving their sentences immediately, totalling 135 years imprisonment combined.
As part of her role in the crime, Panitzke lead a gang who purchased mobile phones overseas (without VAT) and resold them back in the UK, with money being laundered throughout various companies in Spain, Andorra and Dubai.
Panitzke was almost caught back in 2015, after the Spanish police teamed up with HMRC. It's said that she was able to flee to Spain and set up a life in a small town outside of Barcelona, where she could be supported there due to familial ties. Police noticed, via satellite surveillance, that Panitzke's husband would visit her on weekends to drop off supplies.
However, after getting wind that the authorities were moving in on her, Panitzke relocated and changed her appearance, cutting off all ties with her family. Eventually, officers got a lead that a woman fitting Panitzke's description was living alone in a flat in Santa Barbara.
Speaking about the case, Tom Dowdall, the NCA’s international deputy director, said: "Sarah Panitzke has been on the run for almost nine years [and] given the length of time, she might have thought we had stopped searching, but she remained on our radar."
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He added that her capture was the result of "joint working between UK law enforcement and our partners in Spain... and we will now seek her extradition back to the UK to serve her prison sentence."
"This should serve as a warning to others on our most wanted list: we will not rest until you are captured, no matter how long it takes."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
