POLICE have today launched an appeal to find 18 alleged high-risk offenders - including two with links to Lewisham and Greenwich - who are wanted for crimes abroad.

Operation Sunfire is run by the Met’s extradition unit to catch foreign nationals wanted by other countries for crimes including murder, violent robbery and drug trafficking.

Lithuanian Edvinas Judinskas, 19, has links to Woolwich and is wanted by Lithuania in connection with a murder in December 2008 when a man died from his injuries after being punched, kicked and beaten with a metal rod and wooden chair leg.

Polish-born Robert Grygoruk, 36, has links to Forest Hill and is wanted for 24 offences in Poland including controlling prostitution, large-scale fraud, burglary and supplying drugs.

This is the third time Operation Sunfire has launched with the view to putting criminals before extradition courts to face justice abroad.

Detective Sergeant Peter Rance, leading Operation Sunfire 3, said: "Today I'm asking the public, do you recognise these faces? Maybe you know where these people live, work or socialise?

"They are wanted to face justice for a multitude of crimes in other countries and it is in the UK's interests to help find them.”

He went on to urge residents not to approach them if they are spotted but to call 999. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

All 17 of the outstanding wanted people can be viewed by clicking here.