New Zealand police have confirmed they have an outstanding arrest warrant for an Israeli agent named as a suspect in the January killing of top Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.The Wall Street Journal reports that a source has said international investi
New Zealand police have confirmed they have an outstanding arrest warrant for an Israeli agent named as a suspect in the January killing of top Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a source has said international investigators now believe a man identified earlier this year as a suspect could be sought by New Zealand in connection with passport fraud.
The man is named as Zev Barkan, who in 2004 was one of two Israeli citizens sentenced by a New Zealand court to six-month jail terms for their role in attempting to fraudulently obtain a New Zealand passport.
Mr Barkan also was sought by police in connection with the case but fled the country. He is believed to be still at large.
The 2004 case triggered a diplomatic spat between New Zealand and Israel after Wellington officials said Mr Barkan had been an Israel government official who served in embassies in Vienna and Brussels.
At the time, Israel apologised to New Zealand for the involvement of its citizens in the incident.
The WSJ report says police in New Zealand declined to comment beyond confirming that an arrest warrant is outstanding for Mr Barkan. Officials said details of the warrant aren't public.
Meanwhile, Dubai police have named five new suspects, bringing to 32 the number of people identified as wanted in the probe of the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel room on January19.
Since the killing, Dubai authorities have released photos and aliases of 27 suspects, based on passports that officials say were either forged or fraudulently obtained.
The five newly identified suspects were carrying passports from Britain, Australia and France, the source told the WSJ.
