POLICE in Manchester have appealed for information in their bid to trace a man who is believed to have fled to Dublin.
John Paul Joyce is one of 12 men being sought by the force in relation to either drug or firearms investigations, many of whom are thought to have fled abroad.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued a renewed appeal on Saturday for the 12 men, who are among the force’s most wanted suspects.
Joyce is wanted for being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin.
During a warrant, GMP officers found approximately half-a-kilo of crack cocaine and heroin at Joyce’s home address, however, he wasn’t there.
It is believed he fled the country via Northern Ireland to Dublin, before possibly heading to Spain.
Detective Superintendent Joseph Harrop of GMP’s Force Critical Wanted Unit (FCWU) recently appeared on the BBC’s Crimewatch Live programme to appeal for information on Joyce.
“He’s got a light Irish accent, blue eyes and a lot of religious tattoos on his right arm,” he told the show.
“He’s got a partial cross on his forearm, the Lord’s Prayer on his forearm, a full cross on his upper arm and also hands in prayer on his upper arm.
“We think he’s got connections with North Manchester and Ireland.”
DS Harrop added that Joyce is believed to have run a county line operation between September 2023 and May 2024.
“If they’re seen abroad, we would want people to contact their local police but also contact Greater Manchester Police in the UK,” he said.
“Don’t approach these people.”
The FCWU is made up of a dedicated team of specialist officers from GMP who hunt the most wanted fugitives from the region.
All of the 12 wanted men came to the attention of GMP following the infiltration of the encrypted communications network, EncroChat.
People are asked to contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency if they spot Joyce or have any information on his whereabouts.
Information can also be shared anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.