Key Points
- The Colombian police arrested Leigh Simon Elston, a 38-year-old man from the UK, in El Poblado of the city of Medellín.
- While carrying out a security screening in the proximity of Parque Lleras, the police confiscated a CZ pistol, a silencer, two magazines, and 24 rounds from his bag.
- No documents that could prove his permit to have or carry the gun were produced by Elston.
- He is suspected of having committed various offenses relating to manufacturing, trafficking, carrying, and possessing firearms, accessories, parts, and ammunition.
- According to Colombian authorities, he is a fugitive who is wanted by Gwent Police in Wales for breaching prison release conditions in 2024.
- Elston was sentenced to five years and nine months by Cardiff Crown Court in July 2020 for committing drug offenses related to possession with an intention to supply.
- The immigration documents in Colombia state that he entered Colombia on 21 January 2025 under a 90-day tourist visa, which expired in April 2025.
- On 7 July 2025, Migración Colombia fined him and deportation procedures were initiated against him.
- The confiscated gun and accessories were submitted for forensic analysis.
- It remains to be seen whether Elston will face prosecution in Colombia or will be extradited to the UK.
Wales (Wales Times) November 10, 2026 — Colombian police have arrested a Welsh fugitive in Medellín after finding a pistol fitted with a silencer, two loaded magazines and 24 rounds of ammunition in his bag during a security operation in the El Poblado district.
As reported by The City Paper Bogotá, Leigh Simon Elston, 38, was stopped on 30 October at the intersection of Calle 10 and Carrera 40, close to Parque Lleras, one of Medellín’s busiest nightlife and tourist areas. Officers from the National Police’s Tourist Management Group were carrying out identification and security checks when they searched his bag.
The search uncovered a CZ handgun, a sound suppressor, two magazines and 24 cartridges. One magazine contained nine rounds and the other 15, according to reporting by El Espectador.
Why was the British man detained?
Elston could not provide documentation showing that he was legally authorised to possess or carry the firearm. Colombian police therefore detained him in flagrante on suspicion of the offence of manufacturing, trafficking, carrying or possessing firearms, accessories, parts or ammunition.
As reported by El Colombiano, Colonel Richard Raúl Fajardo Ayala, commander of the Metropolitan Police of the Valle de Aburrá, confirmed that the British national was placed at the disposal of the competent judicial authority to advance the corresponding process.
The seized pistol, suppressor, magazines and ammunition were subjected to technical analysis and criminalistics laboratory inspections. Authorities said the examinations would establish the condition of the weapon and determine whether it was connected to criminal acts in the city.
Was the man wanted in Wales?
Yes. After the arrest, police checked databases and identified Elston as a fugitive from justice in Wales who had been sought for about two years. El Espectador reported that Gwent Police had declared him a fugitive in 2024 after he allegedly breached the conditions of his release from prison.
According to Sur in English, Elston was sentenced at uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff Crown Court in July 2020 to five years and nine months in prison for possession of drugs with intent to supply. He went on the run in 2024 after breaching his licence conditions, prompting Gwent Police to issue a public appeal for information about his whereabouts.
The Sun reported that Gwent Police had sought information on Elston’s location after he was allegedly recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions. The newspaper said he was believed to have been on the run since 2024.
What is known about his time in Colombia?
Colombian immigration records indicate that Elston entered the country through José María Córdova International Airport, near Medellín, on 21 January 2025. He arrived on a 90-day tourist visa, which expired in April 2025.
After he failed to pay an automatic overstay fine, immigration authorities began formal deportation proceedings. El Colombiano reported that Migración Colombia imposed a financial sanction on 7 July 2025 because of his irregular stay in the country.
Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez confirmed that the man had received a migration sanction for remaining in Colombia irregularly. In a social-media post, he said that rules must be followed regardless of nationality.
What did authorities say?
The Medellín Mayor’s Office said the arrest took place during verification work in an area where people are randomly stopped and identified. The city government said officers found the firearm, silencer and ammunition after the man was unable to show legal authorisation for the weapon.
As reported by El Espectador, the Security and Coexistence Secretariat said the procedure was conducted with communication in English to ensure that the detainee understood his rights and the scope of the detention.
The man was placed at the disposal of Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office, which must determine his legal situation in Colombia while international proceedings relating to his outstanding British judicial matters proceed.
Could he face extradition?
It is not yet clear whether Colombian prosecutors will charge Elston locally for alleged illegal weapons possession before initiating extradition proceedings to the United Kingdom. Sur in English reported that authorities had not disclosed why he was armed.
The Sun similarly reported that it was unclear whether Elston would face prosecution in Colombia for alleged illegal weapons possession before being extradited to the UK.
The City Paper Bogotá reported that Colombian authorities are handling the alleged firearms offence, while international coordination is expected to determine the procedure for addressing the outstanding British judicial request.
Is this part of a wider pattern?
Elston’s arrest followed the detention in Medellín in November 2025 of two other British fugitives, Liam O’Brien from Liverpool and Robert Taylor from Newcastle upon Tyne. They were targeted by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency over alleged links to transnational narcotics trafficking.
The case has drawn attention because it combines an alleged immigration violation, an alleged firearms offence and an outstanding UK warrant. Colombian authorities have not publicly linked the weapon to any specific crime in Medellín.
Background of the development
Leigh Simon Elston was convicted in Wales in 2020 for drug-related offences and later released under licence conditions. According to reporting by Sur in English and El Espectador, he allegedly breached those conditions in 2024 and left the United Kingdom, leading Gwent Police to seek information about his location.
He entered Colombia in January 2025 on a short-term tourist visa. After overstaying, he was fined by Colombian migration authorities and became subject to deportation proceedings. His arrest in El Poblado brought those immigration issues together with the alleged firearms offence and the UK warrant.
Prediction: how this may affect British visitors in Medellín
For British nationals travelling to or living in Medellín, the case may reinforce the importance of carrying valid immigration documentation and complying with visa conditions. Colombian authorities have previously used routine checks in tourist areas such as El Poblado to verify identity and immigration status.
The arrest may also lead to continued or expanded police operations around Parque Lleras and other high-footfall areas. Mayor Federico Gutiérrez said security operations would continue, according to The City Paper Bogotá.
For the wider British community in Colombia, the development highlights that an outstanding warrant or breach of release conditions in the UK can become relevant if a person is identified during a police procedure abroad. In this case, Colombian authorities are expected to address the alleged local firearms offence while coordinating with UK authorities over the outstanding warrant.
