£5,000 reward offered for information on whereabouts of Matthew Purves

A reward of up to £5,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of Matthew Purves, who is wanted for serious drug-related offences.

Purves is wanted in connection with a conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (cocaine) across the UK between November 2019 and February 2021.

An investigation, built on EncroChat evidence, saw members of a cocaine network jailed for a total of 67 years.

Purves has links to Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire and is also wanted on recall to prison, having been liable for return to HMP since February 2021.

Crimestoppers, which is independent of the police, is supporting the investigation by offering a reward of up to £5,000 for information the charity exclusively receives – either online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or by calling 0800 555 111 at any time – that leads to the arrest and conviction of Matthew Purves.

The reward is available for three months and is due to expire on Monday, 29 December.

Lydia Patsalides, Crimestoppers’ East Midlands regional manager, said: “Communities living under the shadow of drug supply suffer daily – the violence, exploitation and harm it brings can be profound.

“Matthew Purves has been wanted for some time, and somebody out there knows where he is. Through our charity, you can speak up and stay completely anonymous. No matter how small the detail, please tell us today.

“Crimestoppers is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We cannot trace your call or track your IP address. No one will ever know you contacted us. This means no police, no courts, no witness statements. “You may think your information is insignificant, however it could make all the difference.”