LYON, France ‒ The arrest in Germany of Luka Rocco Magnotta, a Canadian national suspected of murder and the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice for internationally-wanted persons, highlights the essential role of international police cooperation and sharing intelligence in fugitive investigations, a senior INTERPOL official has said.
At the request of Canadian authorities, on 31 May INTERPOL issued a Red Notice for 29-year-old Magnotta, wanted for arrest in the killing of a man and posting his body parts to various locations around Canada. German authorities confirmed that Magnotta was taken into custody by police in Berlin today, Monday 4 June.
INTERPOL's 24/7 Command and Coordination Centre circulated the Red Notice in all four of its official languages, Arabic, English, French and Spanish, to each of its 190 member countries after it was believed Magnotta, who is also known as Eric Clinton Newman or Vladimir Romanov, had fled Canada for France.
Thereafter, INTERPOL Canada and the relevant INTERPOL National Central Bureaus began sharing intelligence on Magnotta's whereabouts. In light of the dangerous nature of the suspected murderer, all information on the case was treated as a priority by INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigation Support unit and its Command and Coordination Centre at its General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France.
Throughout the case, INTERPOL’s General Secretariat headquarters remained in constant touch with the relevant National Central Bureaus worldwide and specialist fugitive investigation units to ensure a seamless flow of intelligence in following up potential leads provided by both law enforcement and the public.
“Magnotta’s arrest demonstrates the benefits of INTERPOL's worldwide network of National Central Bureaus sharing information on dangerous fugitives believed to have fled abroad. Police know that the best way to catch fugitives anywhere in the world is to use INTERPOL's tools and services,” said the Head of INTERPOL’s Fugitives unit, Stefano Carvelli.
“INTERPOL congratulates all of the authorities and its National Central Bureaus in Canada, France, Germany and elsewhere for their collaborative efforts which led to the rapid arrest of this wanted individual,” added Mr Carvelli.
INTERPOL Red Notices serve to communicate to police worldwide that a person is wanted by a member country and request that the suspect be placed under provisional arrest pending extradition.
