Mark Acklom, 44, has not been seen since he allegedly swindling a British divorcee out of £850,000 when he posed as a Swiss banker MI6 agent
Britain’s most wanted conman is on the run with a new identity which he used to get a new valid passport, reports have claimed.
Mark Acklom, 44, has not been seen since he allegedly swindled a British divorcee out of £850,000 when he posed as a Swiss banker MI6 agent.
Avon and Somerset Police believe he is with his wife, Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, 47, and their two daughters, aged six and eight.
It is now claimed he has changed his name to Marc Long in a desperate bid to obtain a legitimate passport and a Swiss residency permit.
A European Arrest Warrant has been issued for his arrest, although the order is not recognised in Switzerland. However there is an extradition treaty between Britain and Switzerland.
The passport and residency permit were obtained in 2014, according to Sky News, which is long after he fled the UK. Both are still valid.
It is believed that he rented a flat above a shop in the Swiss city of Zurich but has since left.
Avon and Somerset Police yesterday refused to confirm the allegations but said they were still hunting the conman.
A spokesman for the firm said: ‘The search for wanted man Mark Acklom continues and we’re working with a number of agencies to try and locate him.
‘A European Arrest Warrant remains in place.’
Speaking previously, Detective Inspector Adam Bunting, said: ‘Mark Acklom is a convincing fraudster and we’re working hard to locate him as soon as possible.
Conman Mark Acklom, 43, alias Marc Ros Rodriguez, pictured with his wife Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, known as Yolanda Ros, in Ascot’s Royal Enclosure
‘We know Acklom and his wife have previously set-up businesses working within the property development or rental sectors.
‘Both of them may be using aliases and Acklom is fluent in Spanish, as well as other languages.’
Acklom, now 44, first tried his hand at fraud aged just 16. While studying in Eastbourne, he stole his father’s gold Amex card, posed as a stockbroker and hired jets to fly his friends around Europe.
He even convinced a building society to give him a mortgage of nearly £500,000 which he used to buy a small mansion in London.
He was later jailed three times in Spain for a variety of fraud offences and used the name Marc Ros Rodriguez.
He then returned to the UK and, over the course of a year-long relationship, reportedly promised to marry Carolyn Woods and tricked her into handing over the huge sum of money.
Ms Woods said of their romance: ‘He has a great presence and charisma, he exudes confidence and the air around him was electric. I was caught up in a whirlwind of excitement.
Carolyn Woods with daughter Lara. Speaking of her romance with Acklom, she said: ‘He has a great presence and charisma, he exudes confidence and the air around him was electric’
‘One of the most extraordinary things he told me was that it was all a cover and he was an MI6 agent. It sounds very far-fetched, but he convinced me it was true.’
She added: ‘I had just sold my house and I offered him a loan of £26,000. In the end I lent him everything I had.’
But before they could walk down the aisle, he vanished with the cash – leaving Ms Woods emotionally and financially ruined and on the brink of suicide.
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