A scammer dubbed the Football Fraudster, who featured in a Netflix documentary, is back behind bars after he left the UK illegally.

Medi Abalimba posed as a Premier League footballer and persuaded his victims, including Thierry Henry's ex-wife and Love Island contestant Georgia Steel, to pay for stays in luxury hotels, helicopter trips and travel to different parts of the world, police said.

He was jailed for four years and two months in 2021 before he was released, but then fled the UK early in 2023, breaching the conditions of his licence.

An investigation found he was in the US and was extradited back to the UK, where he was recalled to prison and would remain until October 2026.

Abalimba was a former professional footballer and had stints with Derby County, Oldham Athletic, Southend United, Fulham and Crystal Palace and had trials with Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool as a youngster.

He once commanded a fee of ?1m but failed to progress and masqueraded as France youth international Gael Kakuta to commit 12 counts of fraud in 2014, which led to him being jailed for four years.

The 35-year-old then committed further offences on his release and was given a prison sentence in 2021 for 15 counts of fraud, one count of possession of articles which could be used in fraud and one count of possession of an identity document with improper information.

He was then featured in a Netflix documentary in 2023 called The Football Fraudster, which heard from Claire Merry, who used to be married to Thierry Henry, as well as Love Island star Georgia Steel on how he had duped them.

'Life of deception'

He disappeared while on release under licence and PC Sarah Baker, who works for Derbyshire Police's international liaison office, was tasked with tracking him down.

She worked with authorities in a number of countries around the world and it emerged he had changed his name to Michi Jordan and was travelling on a new passport.

Alalimba, who has previously lived in Derby, was then arrested in an operation which involved Homeland Security in the US and police forces across the globe.

PC Baker said: "Given his extensive offending there was a real concern that, armed with a new name, he could begin targeting new victims.

"However, the USA takes seriously foreign nationals who have not declared their criminal convictions, and he was quickly located and arrested by US authorities."

She added: "Abalimba lives a life filled with deception and even after serving prison sentences, his fraudulent activities have continued.

"It has been a lengthy process to track him down and ensure he is brought back to the UK but I am pleased that we have now managed to achieve this thanks to work with a number of international law enforcement agencies.

"I'm grateful to all those who have helped with tracking him down and ensuring that he is once again behind bars and cannot cause further misery to unsuspecting victims." (BBC)

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