RAPE FUGITIVE RETURNED Rapist who fled UK after conviction tracked down in France and returned to prison

A convicted rapist who fled the UK before he could be sentenced has been extradited from France and returned to Britain to begin serving an eight-year prison sentence.

Foisal Ahmed, 34, of West Street, Buckingham, was sentenced in his absence at Chester Crown Court on Monday, January 19, after failing to attend court.

A jury had previously found Ahmed guilty following a nine-day trial in September 2025 of two counts of rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, and child neglect.

International manhunt

Following his disappearance, detectives launched an international appeal to trace Ahmed’s whereabouts.

Police eventually linked him to an address in France and, working alongside a number of UK and international law enforcement agencies, secured his arrest.

With the assistance of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Interpol, the National Crime Agency (NCA), the French Judiciary, and officers from the Paris Judicial Police Directorate, Ahmed was arrested in France on April 28, 2026.

He has now been extradited to the UK to begin serving his custodial sentence.

Eight-year jail term

Ahmed was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment after being convicted of the serious sexual and domestic abuse offences.

His return to the UK brings an end to a months-long international search after he absconded before sentencing.

Police said the successful operation demonstrated the close cooperation between UK and overseas law enforcement agencies in ensuring offenders cannot evade justice by fleeing abroad