Last Aum cult fugitive Katsuya Takahashi arrested in Japan

The BBC’s Roland Buerk says Mr Takahashi was spotted at an internet cafe by a member of the public

Friday, June 15, 2012

The BBC’s Roland Buerk says Mr Takahashi was spotted at an internet cafe by a member of the publicPolice in Japan have arrested the last fugitive of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult, ending a 17-year manhunt.Katsuya Takahashi is suspected of involvement in the 1995 sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system that killed 13 people.The police have verified his identity after detaining him near a cafe in Tokyo.A manhunt involving thousands of officers began last week after the suspect fled his home.Mr Takahashi has been on the run since the attacks, which also injured 6,000.On Friday, police took him into custody near a comic book cafe in Tokyo, local media reported.The 54-year-old is suspected of driving a fellow cult-member to a station to release the gas during the morning rush hour.Massive manhuntAnother suspect, Naoko Kikuchi, was reportedly arrested two weeks ago.Information from her led the police to a construction firm in Kawasaki where Mr Takahashi had worked under an assumed name, says the BBC’s Roland Buerk in Tokyo. He had already fled his room in the company’s dormitory, but the police found a recent photograph of him. It was released, along with CCTV footage of Takahashi withdrawing money from his bank account.