By Tom Bevan

A multi-millionaire businessman who sold a 'wonder drug' as a cure for cancer and HIV is set to be extradited to France after being arrested following five months on the run.

David Noakes, 67 and from Dover, was used to a life of luxury after he made nearly £8m selling drug GcMaf through his company Immuno Biotech.

It was sold to an estimated 10,000 people after being marketed online as a cure for autism, HIV and cancer.

But Noakes' empire came crashing down when he was jailed for 15 months in November 2018 after a raid uncovered his illegal supply that experts said were dangerous for unsuspecting users.

Noakes pleaded guilty to money laundering and manufacturing, supplying and selling an unlicensed medicine.

He was released from HMP Wandsworth last year.

But officers had been searching for him since December 2019 when he failed to report to Bournemouth Police Station while on bail as he was fighting a judge's decision to extradite him.

And he is now back behind bars after Dorset Police, who have been leading the hunt, confirmed he was arrested last Wednesday in Truro, Cornwall, after a tip-off to police.

Dorset Police said:"Following information received from a member of the public, he was arrested in the Truro area of Cornwall by officers from Devon and Cornwall Police on Wednesday, May 20 and has been recalled to prison."

He is now set to be extradited to France where he is subject to a European Arrest Warrant over nine alleged offences including marketing the unauthorised medicines.

Noakes is also facing confiscation proceedings at Southwark Crown Court.

A judge was set to rule on a confiscation order to strip Noakes of £1.4m on Friday, but following his arrest proceedings have now been adjourned until June 19.

The European warrant for Noakes's arrest relates to the sale and distribution of the cancer drug GcMAF from France.

'My body, particularly my arms and shoulders, ache from the hard beds and pillows...'

He is accused of moving his business operation to Normandy in 2015 after his UK operation was shut down following a raid by the medicines regulator, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Noakes previously hit the headlines with his bizarre rant after his release from HMP Wandsworth.

The disgraced businessman, who spent around £1m of his ill-gained proceeds on planes, moaned about the rough conditions he was forced to endure inside.

Noakes, formerly of Guernsey, said: "It’s put 20 years on me. The food was awful, so was the filth.

"The prison is built in 1851. Sometimes we were locked up 23 hours a day.

"I desperately needed the gym initially, but couldn’t get any prison guards to unlock the cell doors.

"I gave up, then became too weak to use it anyway.

"My body, particularly my arms and shoulders, ache from the hard beds and pillows."

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