Interpol issues 16 new arrest notices for Hamas leader's death

The interpol has issued arrest notices for 16 more suspects wanted by Dubai police for the killing of a top Hamas leader, taking the total number of people on its wanted list to 27.

Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh was found dead in a luxury hotel room in Dubai on January 20, and the Dubai police suspect he was murdered by agents of the Israeli secret agency Mossad. Dubai police have so far identified a total of 27 suspects in the murder.

"Investigative information provided by the authorities in Dubai bore out the international links and broad scope of the number of people involved, as well as the role of two 'teams' of individuals identified by the Dubai Police as being linked to Al-Mabhouh's murder," Interpol said in a statement in Lyon in France yesterday. It said the 16 new names make up the second of these "teams", in addition to 11 for whom Interpol issued Red Notices on February 18.

"According to the Dubai police investigation, the first team consisted of a smaller core group alleged to have carried out the killing," it said, referring to the 11 named last month.

Interpol secretary general Ronald K Noble said the "thorough" investigation by Dubai Police had established "clear" links through passport records and video surveillance of individuals and groups, as well as through DNA analysis, witness interviews and hotel, credit card, phone and transport records.