Man held over 1999 suitcase murder

A man was being held in Bahrain today in connection with the murder of a woman found in a suitcase at Heathrow airport.

The body of Moroccan-born Fatima Kama, 28, a Canadian citizen, was discovered abandoned on an airport trolley on July 17 1999.

She was found by a security guard in the foetal position with multiple stab wounds and a slashed throat.

Scotland Yard repeatedly appealed for help in tracing Youseff Ahmed Wahid, a former steward for Kuwaiti Airlines, in connection with the murder.

A police spokesman said Wahid was arrested yesterday in a pre-planned operation in Bahrain and is in custody pending extradition to the UK. A date for the extradition is not known, the spokesman added.

It is known that both Wahid and Ms Kama stayed at an address in the Marble Arch area of London.

She stayed at the flat belonging to a mutual associate earlier that year and, on returning to the UK for the final time, arranged to sleep there.

Police previously said they believe the motive for the murder may have been the theft of a large quantity of money and jewellery belonging to Ms Kama which was never recovered.

The body is believed to have been transported in a black fabric suitcase, bearing the motif Black Paw New York, from the murder scene to Heathrow airport.

Soon after 10am that day, members of the public alerted a security officer to an unattended suitcase that was left on the third floor of the terminal three car park.

The security guard forced it open and found the body.

Police were called and a murder investigation opened.

Ms Kama was a Canadian citizen for at least two years prior to her murder and was a regular visitor to London.

She arrived in the country for the last time on July 10 1999 on a return ticket to Canada, due to fly back to Montreal that evening.

A post-mortem examination at Ealing Hospital mortuary revealed that she was subjected to multiple stab wounds.