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Berlin police arrest Canadian murder suspect

2012-06-05 09:01 China Daily     Web Editor: Li Heng comment

A Canadian official said a 29-year-old porn actor accused of videotaping a murder and mailing body parts to the country's top political parties was arrested in Berlin on Monday.

The official confirmed Luka Rocco Magnotta was apprehended.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to announce it.

Berlin prosecutors spokesman Martin Steltner told The Associated Press a man wanted on an international arrest warrant was arrested in an internet cafe, but he could not confirm his identity.

Magnotta is accused of murdering a Chinese student, dismembering his body and posting a video of the crime online. "This is a case concerning a Chinese student in Canada, and the methods used in the crime were brutal. The nature and impact of this crime were utterly horrible and we feel deeply shocked," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Monday at a daily news conference.

Canadian police say Magnotta killed Lin Jun, 32, a student from China, on May 24 or May 25.

"We condemn this criminal act and extend our condolences and comfort to the family of the victim," said Liu.

Liu said Chinese diplomats in Canada were in close contact with police and officials there.

Chinese students and other Chinese nationals in Canada should "increase their awareness of self-protection and strengthen safety precautions", Liu said.

The grisly killing of Lin, which has made headlines for days in Chinese newspapers and websites, has provoked widespread anger in the country and questions about safety in Canada.

"I'm very worried about my classmate who will go to Canada," a Chinese Internet user named "A-stronomer" said in a post on Sina Weibo, a popular Chinese social networking site.

"Recently people have been talking about the killing of Lin and the gunshots in Eaton Center. Canada is actually not that safe," another Chinese Internet user living in Canada named "KX-Jun" said in a message posted on Weibo.

The first hint of Lin's killing came when a severed foot was mailed to the Conservative Party headquarters of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Soon afterward, a hand was intercepted in the mail in Ottawa, and a torso found in an abandoned suitcase close to Magnotta's Montreal apartment.

Other body parts are still missing, said Reuters.

Montreal police said Magnotta's bloodstained apartment was the worst crime scene they had ever seen, Reuters reported.

Xu Fei, an official with the Chinese general consulate in Montreal, told CCTV that the consulate has urged relevant authorities in Canada to take effective measures to protect the security of Chinese citizens in Canada.

He also reminded Chinese citizens in Canada, especially students, to become more self-protective and contact the consulate when facing difficulties.

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