The alleged ringleader of the largest cocaine smuggling operation to target the UK could be returned to Britain.

An international arrest warrant is out for Brian Brendan Wright, who is believed to have moved to northern Cyprus.

The BBC has learned that the Turkish authorities on the island may be prepared to hand over Mr Wright if relevant papers are produced.

John Van Staden was sentenced to nine years

Fifteen members of a cocaine smuggling operation have already been jailed in a series of trials in the UK and abroad.

Customs and Excise allege that Mr Wright was the principle financier and organiser of a drug gang which brought at least �360m worth of cocaine into Britain.

The 54-year-old has so far remained out of the reach of Custom and Excise officers because Cyprus has no extradition treaty with the UK.

BBC crime correspondent Stephen Cape said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence in Nicosia would look favourably on an application to hand over Mr Wright if all the proper papers detailing the allegations against him, are presented to the Turkish Cypriot police department.

Whereabouts uncertain

This could be done even though there is no formal extradition treaty.

A spokesman in London for northern Cyprus said it was not clear if the suspect was still on the island.

But if he was, he would have been aware of the recent publicity surrounding attempts to get him returned to the UK because there had been local newspaper coverage.

Last week gang member Hilton John Van Staden, a 52-year-old South African, was jailed for nine years.

At Bristol Crown Court he had admitted conspiracy to import drugs.

Intelligence operation

Sentences totalling 206 years have already been handed out following a massive customs operation involving South America, Europe and the Caribbean.

In 1996 an Irish vessel called the Sea Mist, destined for the UK, was searched by customs officials in Cork.

Officials found nearly 600 kilos of cocaine, triggering an international intelligence operation.

The court heard Staden organised yachts to transport millions of pounds worth of cocaine from the Caribbean to the UK, but had little direct contact with the drugs.