Bail for Peru death squads suspect

The 46-year-old man, who has not been named, was questioned over two days at a police station in Exeter before being released on bail last night.

He was arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of involvement in Peruvian state-backed death squads which targeted guerilla movements, mainly the notorious Shining Path.

The arrest was the first since a change in the law last year which extended the retrospective reach of UK authorities to prosecute for war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide back to 1991 from the previous cut-off point of 2001.

The law change was primarily brought in to cover the actions of anyone who had become a UK resident after being involved in atrocities committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s.

The suspect, who lives in Devon, is thought to have formerly been a Peruvian police officer.

The allegations date back to between 1989 and 1993 during a period when Peru was gripped by brutal civil conflict. The Met’s counter terrorism command, which deals with war crimes, will now carry out what is likely to be a lengthy and complex inquiry.

It is understood the suspect was granted asylum in the UK several years ago. The police inquiry followed information passed on by the UK Border Agency’s War Crimes Unit.