{"id":4891,"date":"2026-06-06T11:48:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T11:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/uk-associate-of-gangster-john-goldfinger-palmer-cleared-of-60-million-tenerife-timeshare-scam\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T11:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T11:48:14","slug":"uk-associate-of-gangster-john-goldfinger-palmer-cleared-of-60-million-tenerife-timeshare-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/uk-associate-of-gangster-john-goldfinger-palmer-cleared-of-60-million-tenerife-timeshare-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"UK associate of gangster John &#8216;Goldfinger&#8217; Palmer cleared of \u00a360 million Tenerife timeshare scam"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_13ef38\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Convicted York fraudster Paul Blanchard, 81, was wanted in Spain over money laundering charges alongside Palmer&#8217;s former head of security Mohamed Derbah until case collapsed<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37249356\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Paul Blanchard will not face extradition\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249356.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_PaulBlanchardMoreRecent.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249356.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_PaulBlanchardMoreRecent.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249356.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_PaulBlanchardMoreRecent.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249356.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_PaulBlanchardMoreRecent.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Paul Blanchard will not face extradition\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Paul Blanchard will not face extradition<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/grandad-fights-extradition-over-claims-13248100\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">convicted fraudster<!-- --><\/a> has been cleared of a \u00a360 million Tenerife timeshare scam linked to murdered gangster John &#8220;Goldfinger&#8221; Palmer.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/grandad-facing-extradition-over-60million-22340279\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Paul Blanchard<\/a>, 81, was wanted in Spain over money laundering charges accused of being part of a mafia-style mob led by Palmer&#8217;s former head of security Mohamed Derbah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Blanchard, who consistently denied the allegations claiming he was working as a police informant, is now in the clear after the <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/world-news\/brit-accused-helping-run-60million-13333655\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Spanish prosecution<\/a> collapsed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He told the Sunday <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Mirror<\/a>: &#8220;It was such a relief. This has been hanging over me for years, but it is finally over. I can now travel anywhere. I have been totally vindicated in everything I have said.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Palmer &#8211; dubbed Goldfinger after smelting gold from the \u00a326million Brink\u2019s-Mat robbery in 1983 \u2013 later swindled millions out of tourists who dreamed of holiday homes in the Canary Isles. He and Derbah fell out in the 90s sparking a bloody turf war.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37249368\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37249368\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.28\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Paul Blanchard claimed he was acting as police informant\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249368.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_PHP_NYL_220721_late_022.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249368.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_PHP_NYL_220721_late_022.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249368.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_PHP_NYL_220721_late_022.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249368.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_PHP_NYL_220721_late_022.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Paul Blanchard claimed he was acting as police informant\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Paul Blanchard claimed he was acting as police informant<cite aria-label=\"Image: Unknown\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Unknown)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Derbah, who allegedly harboured gangster Kenneth Noye when he was wanted for the M25 road-rage murder of Stephen Cameron in 1996, had been accused of masterminding a similar scam.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Blanchard claimed he thought it was a &#8220;legitimate business&#8221; but offered his assistance to Spanish authorities when they began suspecting Lebanese-born Derbah of funding militant group Hezbollah.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Blanchard was jailed here in 2008 for six-and-a-half years after admitting passport fraud, laundering \u00a3375,000 and trying to steal \u00a34.3million from a London bank.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In 2021 he successfully appealed against the first extradition order due to technical deficiencies with the arrest warrant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But in 2022 Spain issued another request which was approved by Westminster Magistrates&#8217; Court on October 18 2024.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37249361\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37249361\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.78\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mohamed Derbah has been cleared\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249361.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Mohamed-Jamil-Derbah-jpeg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249361.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Mohamed-Jamil-Derbah-jpeg.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249361.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Mohamed-Jamil-Derbah-jpeg.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249361.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Mohamed-Jamil-Derbah-jpeg.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Mohamed Derbah has been cleared\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Mohamed Derbah has been cleared<cite aria-label=\"Image: Internet Unknown\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Internet Unknown)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He was due to appeal with barrister Edward Fitzgerald KC arguing there was an &#8220;&#8216;abuse of process&#8221; by Spanish prosecutors and the CPS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Yet, just days before the May hearing he was told the case was dropped and no appeal was needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He said: &#8220;This is total vindication of everything I have said and that my UK conviction was a miscarriage of justice. I was working as an informant, but they completely dropped me and then refused to confirm my status, which is the only reason why I was convicted in the UK.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A UK court accepted in 2020 that Blanchard had been a witness in Spain but heard police had not assured him he would not be prosecuted.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37249373\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37249373\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"M25 killer Kenneth Noye\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249373.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Kenneth-Noye-jail-release.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249373.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Kenneth-Noye-jail-release.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249373.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Kenneth-Noye-jail-release.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249373.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Kenneth-Noye-jail-release.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"M25 killer Kenneth Noye\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">M25 killer Kenneth Noye<cite aria-label=\"Image: PA\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: PA)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Prosecutors said he &#8220;was aware that he had been involved in criminal activity and that he might receive some kind of procedural benefit for cooperating with the investigation&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Blanchard told Sheffield Crown Court he was secretly monitoring the movement of cash for Spanish agents and tipped them off about a terror network funded from the UK months before al-Qaeda&#8217;s 2004 train bomb in Madrid that killed 193 people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But Blanchard, of Fulford, North Yorks, said the Spanish cops refused to confirm this to the judge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In 2018 a European Arrest Warrant from a Spanish judge called Blanchard the &#8220;financial adviser&#8221; behind Derbah&#8217;s network, hired for his offshore banking expertise and laundering skills. It said the gang used &#8220;typical mafia techniques&#8221; including &#8220;threats, extortion and settling of scores&#8221; to launder cash, forge credit cards and pervert the course of justice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Noye and Palmer had laundered stolen gold following the 1983 Brink&#8217;s-Mat heist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Palmer, who was shot dead in June 2015, made millions through his Tenerife timeshare scam before being jailed and was even once on the <a target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/sunday-times-rich-list\" rel=\"follow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Sunday Times Rich List<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37249363\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37249363\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John 'Goldfinger' Palmer's killers have never been traced\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249363.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_John-Palmer-murder.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249363.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_John-Palmer-murder.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249363.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_John-Palmer-murder.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37249363.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_John-Palmer-murder.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"John 'Goldfinger' Palmer's killers have never been traced\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">John &#8216;Goldfinger&#8217; Palmer&#8217;s killers have never been traced<cite aria-label=\"Image: PA\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: PA)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He had been due to stand trial in connection with Spanish timeshare fraud when he was assassinated at his home in Brentwood, Essex.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A CPS source denied the withdrawal of the warrant was connected to Blanchard\u2019s appeal and said it was due to charges against Derbah being dropped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/uk-associate-gangster-john-goldfinger-37249353\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Convicted York fraudster Paul Blanchard, 81, was wanted in Spain over money laundering charges alongside<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0_PaulBlanchardMoreRecent.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}