Home
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Living in the iron grip of our mobile devices
China-Africa ties example of mutual respect
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Suspected jewel thief arrested
Source: Agencies |
March 28, 2009, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
POLICE in Cyprus have arrested a man from Montenegro believed to belong to a gang of international jewel thieves dubbed "the Pink Panthers" that is suspected of carrying out high-profile thefts around the globe, the international police organization Interpol said yesterday.
Rifat Hadziahmetovic of Montenegro was arrested on March 18 while traveling on a forged Bulgarian passport as he tried to enter Larnaca airport in Cyprus, Cypriot police said.
The Pink Panthers are believed to be mainly from countries in the Balkans.
They are the prime suspects in a series of brazen jewel thefts worth over US$150 million over the past decade in Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf.
Hadziahmetovic was arrested on charges of alleged involvement in a 2008 robbery on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Interpol said in a statement from its headquarters in Lyon, France.
Hadziahmetovic appeared in a Cypriot court yesterday, Cypriot police spokesman Christos Andreou said.
His detention in jail was extended until Tuesday, when he will appear in court for the start of extradition proceedings to Spain.
"This arrest is yet again an example of the results which can be achieved by law enforcement around the world sharing information through Interpol which can then be followed up by police on the ground," said Interpol's executive director of police services, Jean-Michel Louboutin, in a statement.
Louboutin commended the work of Cypriot police and said Hadziahmetovic had been identified from his fingerprints.
His original detention was for traveling on fake documents. A follow up from Cypriot police with Interpol led to the formal arrest for robbery.
Rifat Hadziahmetovic of Montenegro was arrested on March 18 while traveling on a forged Bulgarian passport as he tried to enter Larnaca airport in Cyprus, Cypriot police said.
The Pink Panthers are believed to be mainly from countries in the Balkans.
They are the prime suspects in a series of brazen jewel thefts worth over US$150 million over the past decade in Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf.
Hadziahmetovic was arrested on charges of alleged involvement in a 2008 robbery on the Spanish island of Tenerife, Interpol said in a statement from its headquarters in Lyon, France.
Hadziahmetovic appeared in a Cypriot court yesterday, Cypriot police spokesman Christos Andreou said.
His detention in jail was extended until Tuesday, when he will appear in court for the start of extradition proceedings to Spain.
"This arrest is yet again an example of the results which can be achieved by law enforcement around the world sharing information through Interpol which can then be followed up by police on the ground," said Interpol's executive director of police services, Jean-Michel Louboutin, in a statement.
Louboutin commended the work of Cypriot police and said Hadziahmetovic had been identified from his fingerprints.
His original detention was for traveling on fake documents. A follow up from Cypriot police with Interpol led to the formal arrest for robbery.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
