A convicted fraudster who fled Bermuda before a Crown appeal to increase his sentence was heard was yesterday back behind bars after he was extradited from England.

Credit card scammer Chavdar Bachev was flown from the UK to Bermuda on Tuesday night and sent straight to Westgate prison to serve out the remainder of his sentence — which was increased in June to two years from the original sentence of four months.

Bachev was caught after he was held in custody in England for similar offences,

Larry Mussenden, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said his office regarded money-laundering offences as very serious matters.

He added that island authorities would “pursue offenders no matter where they were so that they would be required to serve their rightful and just sentences in prison in Bermuda.”

Bachev, 42, and co-defendant Georgi Todorov were caught at the airport with more than $19,000 in cash as they tried to leave the island after a February crime spree.

The pair were in April sentenced to a total of four months in jail after the admitted a string of charges, including three counts of theft and one of money-laundering.

Bachev was released on May 13 in line with his earliest release date, before the appeal date was fixed.

The Crown had no powers to detain Bachev — although he was aware of the filed appeal before he left Bermuda.

The appeal was heard on May 30 and the increased sentence was handed down about two weeks later.

Bachev, a Bulgarian national, will now serve the remaining 20 months of the increased sentence.