SPANISH police have been told to arrest an East Lancashire couple who flew to Spain after admitting involvement in a £1million cigarette smuggling operation.

Stuart Murthwaite, 48, and his partner Catherine Gillen, 45, could be in a UK court within days under the terms of a European Union arrest warrant.

Police in Spain can detain the couple from Beech Grove, Darwen, and automatically extra- dite them to the UK as part of the new warrants.

Murthwaite and Gillen not only face possible jail sentences on their return but could have to pay back thousands of pounds of their ill-gotten gains.

The pair were allowed to live in southern Spain as they were awaiting sentence at Preston Crown Court in February over a cigarette-smuggling and money-laundering probe but have failed to contact the authorities or return to be sentenced.

Originally Murthwaite and Gillen were the subject of UK arrest warrants but these have now been converted into European warrants, which the Spanish police can legally act upon. The warrants were introduced in 2004 as part of measures to speed up justice across the continent.

Appealing to the couple to give themselves up, a spokesman for Lancashire Police's organised crime unit said: "We would appeal for them to make contact with us and we will do everything we can to assist their return to this country.

"It is in their interests to make contact with us rather than be arrested by our colleagues in Spain.

"The couple will also face a financial investigaton hearing, which will commence when they come back. We will be looking at all their assets as part of this inquiry."

If prosecutors can prove that the couple, along with three co-accused, profited from their smuggling cartel then they will face hefty financial penalties, which can be imposed by the courts.

Before their departure the couple had admitted conspiracy to launder money, obtain mortgages by deception, and contraband smuggling.

They were arrested and charged by police in February 2006 in relation to a wide-ranging organised crime unit investigation into illegal cigarette and tobacco smuggling.

Proceeds from the contraband were then being used to buy properties in the North West of England and Southern Spain.

The organised crime unit spokesman added: "As a result of additional work we have done, and the publicity generated regarding the case, we are confident that they are in southern Spain.

"Working with Spanish police and Interpol, our English warrants have now been converted into European warrants and they are just waiting to be executed now."

In February three of the couple's co-defendants were sentenced for their roles in the smuggling cartel after admitting tax evasion, money laundering and deception offences.

John Hargreaves, 50, of Harwood Bar Caravan Park, Great Harwood, was jailed for 15 months for conspiracy to import contraband cigarettes and tobacco.

David Richards, 44, of Glendene Park, Clayton-le-Dale, and Karl Jackson, 50, from Preston, who worked as a chartered accountant, were charged with producing false accounts and obtaining mortgages by deception.

Both Richards and Jackson were given six-month suspended prison sentences.

The pair were also ordered to complete 100 hours of community punishment and placed on probation for 12 months, along with a night-time curfew.