'Dangerous rapist' arrested at Manchester Airport after 27-year manhunt

A "dangerous rapist" was finally arrested at Manchester Airport after dodging justice for 27 years. Maboob Bostan attacked two women and a teenager in the 1990s before he used a false passport to flee the country while on bail.

But when he landed back on UK soil in January, police swooped after detectives refused to give up their pursuit of Bostan. The 54-year-old, previously of Batley, West Yorkshire, was jailed for the known offences as well as a further count f rape that came to light after a forensics breakthrough.

Police branded him a "dangerous individual" and "never gave up" their hunt to find him. He raped a girl in her teens in Batley in January 1997 and then a woman in her 20s, also in Batley, in February 1998. In 2006 a review took place by Operation Recall, the force's specialist investigation team looking into forensic evidence developments in relation to sexual offences, the Manchester Evening News reports.

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A breakthrough in DNA evidence linked Bostan to a further rape involving a woman in her 30s in Manningham Park, Bradford, which took place in September 1997. Attempts were made to extradite Bostan from Pakistan where he was found to be living.

Bostan was arrested at Manchester Airport in January this year when he flew back into the country of his own accord. He was then charged with the further Bradford offence.

He was due to stand trial in July this year, but entered guilty pleas to the three rape charges at the start of his trial. Appearing before Leeds Crown Court for sentencing today (September 27), Bostan, was jailed for 24 years with an extended licence period of six years.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Stephen King, of West Yorkshire Police's Major Investigation Review Team, the team behind Operation Recall, said: "First and foremost, my thoughts go out to the victims in this case who have had to wait so long to see justice being done. I hope this brings some comfort and closure to them. Maboob Bostan chose to flee the country rather than be answerable for his crimes, but we never gave up on bringing him to justice.

"We sought his extradition back to the United Kingdom as recently as 2022 after further investigation by the Operation Recall team provided us with a forensics breakthrough that linked him to the Bradford offence.

"I have no doubt that Bostan is a dangerous individual and a risk to females wherever he is, so I'm pleased that justice has finally been done and he has been given a lengthy jail sentence. We have specialist child and adult safeguarding teams working across West Yorkshire and I would urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual offences to contact us."