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By Humphrey Carter

PALMA
A 77-year-old Briton, apparently wanted in the United States in connection with a 12 million dollar fraud scam, has been arrested in Palma, according to the National Police.

Police sources reported yesterday that Ian Anthony S., was being hunted by Interpol, which had issued an international search and arrests warrant, and could face over 80 years in jail if extradited to stand trial in the United States. According to the police, the Briton and his partner committed the fraud between 2001 and 2002 from three base in San Diego.

Apparently, the 77-year-old and his partner had set up a network of bogus branches for his Millennium Finance Ltd company through which they allegedly sold fictitious shares to clients in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Switzerland.

Ian Anthony S. was arrested at 10pm on Tuesday night on charges of alleged electronic (Internet) fraud and money laundering.

LOST TOURIST
Police sources explained yesterday that the suspect was handed over to the National Police's International Crime unit after two officers bumped into the wanted Briton just yards away from the National Police station on the Paseo Mallorca in Palma. The 77-year-old apparently looked disorientated and the two officers, thinking he was probably a lost tourist, approached to assist the holiday maker.

The officers asked for his identification so they could run it through their system and find out which hotel he was staying at or a local contact address - however, when his data was entered into the police system, the Interpol search and arrest warrant appeared.

He was subsequently escorted round the corner and into the police station. Yesterday, the Briton appeared nefore a remand hearing in Palma.