Fugitive Briton arrested on train in Portugal

A British fugitive wanted on suspicion of attempted rape has been arrested in Portugal after being stopped on a train.

Paul Buchanan, 29, was a target of the National Crime Agency's Operation Captura, a campaign to trace a list of wanted suspects believed to be hiding among expat communities in the Spanish Costas.

Buchanan, originally from New York, is wanted on suspicion of attempted rape by West Mercia Police.

He was detained today in Lisbon, where he will appear in court on Saturday.

Dave Allen, head of the UK international crime bureau at the National Crime Agency, said: "The arrest of Paul Buchanan is the second success for Operation Captura this month.

"Recent work to publicise the outstanding subjects has brought the campaign to the attention of expats and holidaymakers alike, and continues to make life uncomfortable for fugitives looking to evade justice by fleeing abroad."

Buchanan was stopped at Gare do Oriente train station with no ticket or identification and questioned by police. After giving his real name police matched him to his photo.

Operation Captura is a joint campaign with the NCA and the independent charity Crimestoppers.

So far more than 68 out of 86 wanted individuals have been apprehended.

Lord Ashcroft, chair of Crimestoppers, said: "It is fantastic to hear that there has been another arrest.

"The list of fugitives wanted as part of Operation Captura gets smaller all the time and we will not stop until all of them have been brought to justice."