Interpol puts Dubai killing suspects on wanted list

Hamas member Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in the Dubai hotel, 19 January
Hamas's Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in the Dubai hotel the day before his killing

The 11 people suspected of killing a Hamas commander in Dubai have been placed on international police organisation Interpol's wanted list.

Interpol has posted the photographs and names it suspects were used fraudulently by the individuals.

Dubai's police chief says he is 99% sure Israeli secret service agents were involved in Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's death, but Israel says there is no proof.

The UK has expressed "outrage" that six British passports were used.

Miliband vow

Interpol has issued Red Notices for the suspects. Although not an international arrest warrant, a Red Notice requests that the suspects be arrested pending extradition.

Interpol does not believe that we know the true identities of these wanted persons
Ronald K Noble,
Interpol secretary general

Interpol said it believed the suspects had stolen the identities of real people and the names were used as aliases.

It said it was posting the photos and names "in order to limit the ability of accused murderers from travelling freely using the same false passports".

Interpol secretary general Ronald K Noble said: "[We do] not believe that we know the true identities of these wanted persons."

Mr Noble said he hoped the investigation process would "help to establish the innocence of the ordinary citizens and even of countries whose identities were stolen and fraudulently used".

In response to the Interpol move, Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim called for it to issue "a Red Notice against the head of Mossad", the Israeli secret service.

Police in Dubai are hunting 11 people they believe are behind the killing of a senior Hamas commander. The suspects are accused of using fake passports bearing their own pictures, but the names of innocent Europeans.

Six British-Israelis were among those whose identities were stolen. Three more suspects, including one woman, were travelling on false Irish passports. Two others had French and German papers.

One of the victims of the identity theft was British-Israeli Paul John Keeley (pictured right). The passport used by one of the suspected assassins bore his name, but featured a photograph of another man (pictured left).

Palestinian militant Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was killed in his hotel room in Dubai in January. Police claim one of the suspects, pictured on the left, went to a hotel to put on a disguise. He is seen leaving a toilet wearing a wig.

Surveillance cameras also recorded Mr Mabhouh, circled in red above, at the hotel's reception before his death. At the bottom of the image the head of one of the suspects can be seen. As Mr Mabhouh leaves, the suspect follows.

Mr Mabhouh is trailed into the lift by a number of the suspects, including two pictured here in tennis gear. Investigators believe he had been followed from Syria to Dubai where it is thought he wanted to buy weapons for Hamas.

When Mr Mabhouh leaves the lift, police allege two of the murder suspects can be seen following him down the corridor to establish which room he was staying in. He was found dead in his room on 20 January.

A number of Western nations, including the UK and France, have increased the pressure on Israel to provide any details it may have on the killing in a Dubai hotel on 20 January.

The six passports suspected to have been used fraudulently comprised six British, three Irish, and one each from France and Germany.

Germany is the latest country to become involved, summoning the Israeli charge d'affaires for an explanation.

[Ireland] takes grave exception to the forgery and misuse of Irish passports
Micheal Martin,
Irish Foreign Minister

The UK and Irish Republic governments summoned their Israeli ambassadors to meetings on Thursday.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband vowed to "get to the bottom" of the case.

Israel's ambassador to the UK, Ron Prosor, said he was "unable to add additional information".

Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said there had been "frank" talks with Israel's envoy.

Mr Martin said: "Regardless of who was responsible, [Ireland] takes grave exception to the forgery and misuse of Irish passports.

"The ambassador said he had no information on the matter."

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Wednesday there was no evidence of Israeli involvement.

He added: "Israel never responds, never confirms and never denies."

Israel's UK ambassador Ron Prosor on the Dubai murder

Reports have suggested Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was in Dubai to buy weapons for Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement.

Two Palestinian suspects are being questioned about the murder. Police said the pair fled to Jordan after the killing, but were extradited back to Dubai on Sunday.

The BBC's Jeremy Bowen in Dubai says in terms of Israeli involvement there is only circumstantial evidence and the fact that Mossad has a history of assassinations.

He says that although none of the Dubai 11 are in custody, there are the two Palestinians and more evidence might be coming out of them.

The BBC's Katya Adler in Jerusalem says more details of the two have emerged.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Suhri told the BBC the men were members of the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus.

They were originally from Gaza, he said, but fled the Strip three years ago when Hamas took over the territory 18-2-2010

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