UK investigators to interview British citizens in Tel Aviv

Individuals whose identities were apparently used by alleged hit squad may receive new biometric passports.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Suspected al-Mabhouh assassins 311 (photo credit: Associated Press)
Suspected al-Mabhouh assassins 311
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Two investigators from Britain’s Serious and Organized Crime Agency are set to interview several British citizens living in Israel who will arrive at the British Consulate in Tel Aviv this week to receive new biometric passports, as international inquiries into the assassination of senior Hamas terrorist Mahmoud al-Mabhouh continue.
The British Embassy has offered the new passports, which will encodefacial biometric features, to all Britons who found their name on alist of suspected hit squad members, publicized this month by DubaiPolice.
British Embassy Spokesman Rafi Shamir told The Jerusalem Postthat all British citizens who found their names on the list haveexpressed an interest in receiving the new passports, and will be metby the police investigators in the coming days at the consulate.
SOCA describes itself as an intelligence-led agency geared towardsfighting organized immigration crime and serious drugs offenses. OneSOCA investigator arrived in Israel last week, while a second arrivedover the weekend.
A number of British-Israelis whose names appeared on the suspect list declined to comment on Sunday.