No plans to extradite passport fraud suspect yet: police chief

DUBAI // Authorities in the UAE will not immediately seek the extradition of a suspected Mossad agent who allegedly played a role in the Dubai assassination of an Hamas official. The Federal Prosecutor's Office in Germany yesterday said a man had been detained by Polish police on suspicion of illegally obtaining a German passport for one of the members of a hit squad. That hit squad is linked to the murder of Mahmoud al Mabhouh at the Al Bustan Rotana in Dubai earlier this year. Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police chief, told the National authorities in Dubai would not seek the extradition of the suspect from Germany, where the crime is said to have happened. "This person has committed the crime in Germany and therefore it is only normal that he will be prosecuted there," he said. "For us, what is important that he will receive his punishment irrespective of which country." However, the police chief indicated that if the suspect participated in the murder in Dubai then extradition would be sought. A German official had earlier said the arrest was linked to the German investigation into the illegal obtaining of a passport in the name of Michael Bodenheimer, which was allegedly used by one of the assassins. "The fact that German investigators could develop their own investigations is a clear indication of the strength of the information provided by us and that the pictures and other data collected are accurate," said Lt Gen Tamim. "The co-operation of the different Interpol members is leading the development of investigations. We will continue to co-operate with the different concerned authorities in the case," said Lt General Tamim. wissa@thenational.ae