Between them, they are wanted for a string of alleged offences including murder, terrorism, drug trafficking and abduction. So elusive are these suspects said to be that Interpol’s Secretary-General called last week for the establishment of a “global network of fugitive investigators” to bring them to justice.

Yesterday, however, a lone journalist from The Times succeeded in tracking down half of the British fugitives. He found all four using widely available sources such as electoral registers, internet search engines and commercial records. What is more, he did it in one hour and 22 minutes.

Two alleged child abductors wanted for extradition to Canada after snatching two children — the daughters of one of the pair — were found to be living openly in Bridgend. One of the fugitives was even listed in the local telephone directory, and both were tracked down in 15 minutes.

Shortly afterwards, a man who is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by police in Moscow, also accused of attempting to snatch his own child, was traced to an address in Houston, Texas.

Little more than 30 minutes later, a fourth suspect, accused of terrorism and firearms charges, was discovered living in a £450,000 semi in suburban Surrey.

The wanted posters for all four bear the warning “may be dangerous”, and all are subject to Interpol’s “red notice”, which means they should be apprehended immediately and extradited. The fugitives’ rapid discovery is likely to be a huge embarrassment to Interpol, which has been looking for them for several years. Just how embarrassing is difficult to ascertain, however, as nobody from the organisation was prepared to comment.

The failings of Interpol’s wanted list were exposed this week by the case of Derek Bond, a 72-year-old grandfather from Bristol who spent weeks languishing in a South African police cell after he was arrested at the FBI’s request.

Mr Bond’s identity had been “stolen” by an alleged conman called Derek Lloyd Sykes, who features prominently on Interpol’s most wanted list.

As a neighbour of Mr Bond said: “If the authorities thought he was Sykes, and were really looking for him, they could have just looked him up in the Bristol phone book and knocked on his front door at any time.”

Under its full title of the International Criminal Police Organisation, Interpol’s stated mission is “to be the world’s pre-eminent” police force.

With an annual budget of €30 million (£20.4 million), however, and a palatial new glass-and-steel headquarters in Lyons, it could be far more effective, critics say.

John O’Connor, a retired head of the Scotland Yard Flying Squad, said: “I was always an advocate of Interpol, but it really isn’t working. It’s a great talking shop, and it gathers a lot of data, but nobody actually goes out and nicks anyone.”

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