Canadian body-parts suspect is arrested in Berlin



BERLIN // A 29-year-old Canadian porn actor accused of videotaping a killing and posting the victim's body parts to the country's top political parties was apprehended yesterday in Berlin after an international manhunt, putting up no struggle while conceding to arresting officers: "you got me".

Luka Rocco Magnotta was captured in an internet cafe after a person recognised him and alerted police, said Berlin police spokeswoman, Kerstin Ziesmer.

The owner of the cafe, in Berlin's working-class Neukoelln district, said that Magnotta had come in to read news reports about himself when one of his employees recognised him.

"A colleague recognised him from his photo, because he'd just read the newspaper," said the owner.

He said police officers happened to be outside at the time, and the employee alerted them and they arrested Mr Magnotta at about 2pm without difficulty. Berlin police said that Mr Magnotta tried initially to give a false name but then conceded "OK, you got me".

Mr Magnotta is wanted by Canadian authorities on first-degree murder and other charges.

He is suspected of killing Jun Lin - a 33-year-old Chinese university student he had dated - and posting Mr LIN's body parts to Canadian political parties.

Julie Carmichael, a spokeswoman for Canada's public safety minister, confirmed the arrest.

Mr Magnotta is believed to have fled to France on May 26 based on evidence police found at his apartment, and he had been placed on Interpol's most-wanted list.

The case began last Tuesday, when a package containing a severed foot was opened at the ruling Canadian Conservative Party headquarters.

A hand was discovered at a postal facility, addressed to the Liberal Party of Canada.

A torso was found in a suitcase at a rubbish dump in Montreal, outside Mr Magnotta's apartment building.

Police suspect Mr Magnotta filmed the murder.

The video, posted online, shows a man stabbing another man with an ice pick while the victim lies naked and tied up.

The first man later reveals he has slashed the other man's throat. He also dismembers the corpse and performs sexual acts with it.

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Creator: Ramez Galal

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Streaming on: MBC Shahid

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Illegal shipments intercepted in Gulf region

The Royal Navy raid is the latest in a series of successful interceptions of drugs and arms in the Gulf

May 11: US coastguard recovers $80 million heroin haul from fishing vessel in Gulf of Oman

May 8: US coastguard vessel USCGC Glen Harris seizes heroin and meth worth more than $30 million from a fishing boat

March 2: Anti-tank guided missiles and missile components seized by HMS Lancaster from a small boat travelling from Iran

October 9, 2022: Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose recovers drugs worth $17.8 million from a dhow in Arabian Sea

September 27, 2022: US Naval Forces Central Command reports a find of 2.4 tonnes of heroin on board fishing boat in Gulf of Oman 


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