AN ON-THE-RUN ringleader of a £13 million international drug smuggling ring in Bingley will become the first British citizen to be extradited from the Philippines following his arrest.

John Halliday, who went missing in September 2013, was jailed for ten years in his absence after going on the run just before he was due to stand trial.

He was convicted by the jury of conspiracy to import and conspiracy to supply synthetic Class B drugs such as M-cat.

He dealt in body building supplements through his shop 'Total Body' from premises in Park Road, Bingley, where he had a money-spinning sideline in supplying 'legal highs' of the cathinone-type drugs.

When the drugs were criminalised as Class B in 2010, he turned to smuggling them into the country.

Now, after a lengthy police pursuit, Halliday was arrested on Friday on the southeast Asian island.

This follows a ten-month investigation to track him down in the country and arrest him, after an arrest request was submitted early last year.

An extradition treaty between the UK and Philippines was agreed last year.

Halliday will remain in custody in the Philippines until he is returned to the UK.

But he can lodge an appeal against the proceedings.

When he returns to the UK, Halliday, whose address was given as being in Harrogate at the time of the gang's trial, will be immediately taken to prison to serve his ten-year sentence, handed to him at Leeds Crown Court in December 2013.

His arrest follows a joint operation between West Yorkshire Police, the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Foreign Office.

Detective Inspector Neil Hollis, of West Yorkshire Police’s Crime Division, said: “Halliday is a dangerous convicted criminal and we are delighted that he has finally been arrested and is in the custody of the authorities in the Philippines.

"It has taken a lot of hard work but we are now a step closer to bringing him back to the UK to serve his prison sentence.

"This has been a joint operation with the National Crime Agency, the CPS and the Foreign Office but it has been led by our officers who were determined not to let Halliday slip through the net.

"It sends a clear message to anyone who thinks they can evade punishment - even if criminals travel thousands of miles away we will do everything in our power to bring them to justice."

The drugs the gang imported from China and India via courier firms, initially on a route through Greece where it was re-packaged and when that operation was compromised by a seizure there, it was taken through an alternative route in Germany.

The parcels were then delivered to addresses in Yorkshire.

A total of 526 kilogrammes had been imported through this route, with a wholesale value of £1.8m and a street value of £13.1m.

While Halliday managed the operation, complex financial arrangements were put in place to fund the purchase of the drugs and launder the cash received.

His arrest followed a raid on business premises in Hunslet, Leeds in October 2011 where ten kilos of drugs with a street value of £250,000 were recovered.

Other members of the drug smuggling ring came from across Yorkshire including Bradford, Shelf, Cottingley, Apperley Bridge and Huddersfield.