Gary Robb, 45,owned the Colosseum nightclub in Stockton which was raided by 200 police officers in riot gear and shut down in 1996

Gary Robb, who just seven years ago along with 44-year-old James, was one of the biggest drugs pedlars in the North-East, skipped bail in 1997 and fled to Turkish Cyprus, a sanctuary for those on the run from British law.
The drug barons owned a string of nightclubs across the North-East in the 1990s, including the infamous Colosseum in Stockton, which in 1996 was raided by more than 200 police officers in riot gear. They seized a haul of Ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis worth £10,000. The notorious rave club, in Norton Road, was closed following the raid.
The brothers, who had peddled illicit substances through their clubs, were arrested and Gary Robb appeared in court on September 23, 1997. By September 24, the day he was due to be tried, he had eluded authorities, skipped bail and fled across Europe to his beach-side safe haven. The Turkish side of the island is not recognised as an independent state by British officials, meaning extradition procedures are impossible.In 1997, Robb’s brother James was jailed for 12 years for allowing his premises in Stockton to be used for drug dealing.
Chief Superintendent Mark Braithwaite, head of crime operations for Cleveland Police, said: “A warrant was issued by a crown court judge for the arrest of Gary Robb after he fled the court during a trial where he faced a number of charges which included conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
“That warrant is still very much active and we at Cleveland Police would seek to arrest him if he returned to the UK, and if he knowingly entered the jurisdiction of a country that has an extradition treaty with the UK we will be in a position to take action in that regard also.”
Gary Robb, who fled the UK to live in exile has indicated he could return home in a bid to clear his name.
And Cleveland Police chiefs today confirmed they would welcome the move - as a warrant is still outstanding for his arrest.
A European arrest warrant and Interpol “red bulletin” is thought to have been issued on Gary Robb.
Gary Robb, 45,owned the Colosseum nightclub in Stockton which was raided by 200 police officers in riot gear and shut down in 1996
He was due to stand trial at Teesside Crown Court charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs but skipped bail and fled to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1997.
Robb has been living on the island, which has no extradition treaty with the UK, for 10 years, where he has helped build up a building empire - Aga Development Construction.
He is now claiming that if he does return to Teesside he would plead not guilty to the drugs charges.
“I had been involved in nightclub door security since the age of 17 and was very aware of what drugs could do to people,” he said.
“I never touched the stuff myself and would never allow it to be pushed in the clubs in the North-east I ran with my older brother, James.
“Refusing to allow a pusher into one of our clubs almost got me shot on one occasion but we never changed our policy.”
His flight to northern Cyprus was triggered by the police raid on the Colosseum, which uncovered ecstasy, amphetamines and cannabis.
Recalling the night of the raid, he said: “It turned out the police had carried out an undercover operation at the Colosseum when they had been able to buy drugs, despite our policy and extensive security to stop pushers getting in.”
“When my lawyer examined the court papers it was clear I had been set up by someone who gave a statement to police claiming I was putting money up to finance drug-dealing.”
Robb claims that person had since retracted the allegation and said it had been “absolutely central” to the case against him.
He said: “My lawyer, Barry Stewart, who had a house in North Cyprus, told me the day before the trial that if I stayed in the UK I wouldn’t get a fair trial.
Robb, a married father of three, added he wanted to complete a development in northern Cyprus and then “go back to the UK where I believe it will now be possible for me to clear my name”.
However, he is calling on the British Government to release £1.5m which he claims was frozen when he tried to transfer the money from an account in Cyprus to one in Thailand.
Robb said the money was being moved only as a bridging loan to allow him to kick-start a development in Thailand and was to be returned to Cyprus to fund bungalow developments there.
Now he is saying he will return to Britain to face trial as soon as the Government releases his money.