A former Brookside actor has been arrested in Spain after being convicted of a £13.6 million fraud.
Philip Foster, 51, was arrested by the Guardia Civil in Alicante and will be extradited to the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Friday.
Foster was sentenced in his absence at Sheffield Crown Court in February 2025 to eight-and-a-half years in prison.
He was sentenced for conspiracy to defraud, while eight of his associates were sentenced for the same offence and on money laundering charges.
He had earlier jumped bail and a warrant had been issued for his arrest.
The court heard that he masterminded an operation involving an extensive network of sham modelling agencies that exploited the dreams of aspiring young models and their parents for more than eight years.
More than 6,000 victims parted with large sums of money on the false promise of securing paid modelling gigs.
A National Trading Standards investigation found that Foster and his associates provided them only with poor quality digital photographs that were not usable to secure legitimate work.
“Foster’s cruel exploits left thousands of victims in serious debt, causing lasting emotional distress and significant financial pressures,” National Trading Standards director Wendy Martin said.
Foster bought high-end watches and cars with his share of the proceeds.
He ran the fraud from his home in the Spanish coastal city of Marbella, where he lived a luxurious lifestyle.
The sham agencies, which paid no tax, existed for short periods before being dissolved and repeatedly rebranded.
Money from the scam was laundered through UK bank accounts before being transferred to Spain or carried in cash on commercial flights by co-conspirators, the NTS said.
Foster featured on the NCA’s recent ‘Most Wanted’ campaign, which is run in conjunction with the independent charity Crimestoppers, the Spanish Ministry of Interior, Spanish law enforcement partners and UK policing.
He is the 102nd fugitive to be arrested since the start of the campaign.
“Foster’s arrest demonstrates the continued success of the Most Wanted campaign and our commitment to tracking down criminals wanted by UK law enforcement,” NCA Deputy Director International Rick Jones said.
“I would like to recognise the dedicated work of our colleagues in the Guardia Civil who made this arrest possible. The NCA, alongside law enforcement partners will continue to do all we can to ensure fugitives are returned to face justice.”
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