05/03/2010

Crimewatch Crook Apprehended

A man who appeared on Crimewatch last week has been tracked down by officers.

The photo of Omar Habool, aged 33, appeared on the wanted section of the programme on Thursday 25 February.

Omar, an Algerian national who was previously living in Stevenage, was convicted of conspiracy to defraud in 2005 after attempting to use a fraudulent passport to cash a fraudulent cheque to the value of £6000 in a shop in Stevenage.

He was released from prison in 2006 to continue his sentence in the community. During this time, his prison licence was revoked and he was wanted by police on recall to prison to serve the rest of his sentence.

Following the appeal on Crimewatch, a caller in Edinburgh reported seeing him working in a local shop. With the assistance of Lothian and Borders Police, he was located and arrested on Wednesday, a spokesman for the force said today. He is currently in police custody.

(PR/BMcC)

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