LYON, France – A Dutch national suspected of murder in Belgium and wanted as part of an INTERPOL operation targeting fugitives worldwide has been arrested by police in Croatia, following a tip-off from a member of the public in Ireland.
Morgan Schreurs, who is accused of killing a woman he met in a bar in November 1999, is one of the targets highlighted as part of INTERPOL’s Operation Infra-Red (International Fugitive Round-Up and Arrest – Red Notices) and featured in a public appeal for information to identify his location, previously thought to be Ireland or Italy.
After details of the case and his photo were circulated by An Garda Siochana to the Irish media, a member of the public came forward with information that the 39-year-old could be in Croatia.
Close liaison between officers at the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Dublin, INTERPOL’s Fugitive investigative Support (FIS) unit at the General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon and staff at NCB Zagreb, led to Schreurs being taken into custody on Friday 22 June by police in Rovinj. Schreurs was found in possession of an Italian passport, ID card and driving licence which were proved to be false following checks with NCB Rome.
“This arrest has achieved exactly what INTERPOL’s Operation Infra-Red set out to do – encourage members of the public to provide new information to assist police in taking action, and this suspected murderer is now in custody after nearly 14 years on the run,” said Stefano Carvelli, head of INTERPOL’s FIS unit.
“This is a perfect demonstration of what can be achieved through cooperation between the public and police, and I would like to congratulate all those involved: Belgium for including him in the operation, the person who provided the tip-off and the officers in Ireland and Croatia who made sure this information was acted upon rapidly.
“This case also serves as a warning to other fugitives that no matter how long it takes, INTERPOL and its member countries will continue their efforts in finding them, and bringing them to justice,” concluded Mr Carvelli.
INTERPOL’s Operation Infra-Red, which was launched on 14 May, saw investigators from 28 of the participating countries and Europol gather at the INTERPOL General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France to directly share information on more than 500 suspects wanted by 57 countries.
Details of the wanted persons, their suspected locations and any other potentially identifying information was collated and analyzed, before being sent to involved countries through INTERPOL’s global network of 190 National Central Bureaus for action.
To date, information shared through Operation Infra-Red has led to the arrest or location of nearly 60 individuals, including suspected Canadian killer, Luka Rocco Magnotta. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of any of the internationally-wanted persons can contact INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support unit.