Cops on lookout for paedophile

By The Star Online.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian enforcement agencies have been alerted to prevent Canadian paedophile Christopher Paul Neil, who was photographed sexually abusing young children in Vietnam and Cambodia, from crossing the border from Thailand.

Interpol spokesman Kristin Kvigne said Neil, 32, was seen entering Thailand last Thursday.

She said anyone who spots the suspect or has any information that could help investigators should contact the local police or Interpol.

Global alert: An undated photo of Neil taken from the Interpol website on Tuesday. He was seen entering Thailand last Thursday. — Reuters

On Oct 8, Interpol issued an alert worldwide after the agency successfully unscrambled an original photograph of the suspect, nicknamed Vico, that had been digitally manipulated to disguise his face.

“Within three days of the appeal, working with its National Central Bureaus around the world, Interpol had established the suspect’s name, nationality, date of birth, passport number, and current and previous places of work,” Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said in a statement.

He said the information provided to Interpol came from five different sources in three continents.

“Intense investigative support from authorities in South Korea and Thailand documented the suspect’s arrival in Bangkok International Airport last Thursday from Seoul.”

He said security cameras at the airport immigration captured the suspect’s arrival and his photograph had been made public.

Neil is believed to have fled Thailand after several Thai newspapers published his photograph that was posted on the Interpol website.

Interpol spokesman Michael Morran said the man taught in international schools where the sexual offences took place.

“We have not ruled out the possibility that he may have sexually abused other boys in South Korea and here.

“That is why we have asked our counterparts in South-east Asia including Malaysia to be on the look-out for the man and to bring him in for questioning,” he told reporters covering the Euro-Asian Police Cooperation symposium in Bangkok yesterday.

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