LYON, France, March 9 (NNN-KUNA) -- The international police agency Interpol has issued "arrest notices" against 16 people suspected of having a hand in the Jan 19 assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh.

The agency said in a statement Monday that the "red notices" were released in response to a request by the authorities in Dubai, bringing the number of the wanted suspects to 27.

It said investigations, conducted by the Dubai police, revealed that the assassins included a team of 11 individuals, who had allegedly carried out the killing, 16 suspected accomplices, who had monitored movements of the slain leader since his arrival at Dubai airport till his assassination.

The statement quoted the Interpol chief, Ronald Noble, as saying that the investigations in Dubai also showed that there were explicit connections among the suspects after examining passports, contents of the security cameras, individuals' testimonies, hotels' records, visa and credit cards, telephone contacts and registrations of communication means.

He indicated that the suspects had moved several times among many countries, using falsified passports and false names, affirming the cooperation with the police in the UAE to unravel all circumstances of the assassination of Al-Mabhouh, widely dubbed as founder of the military wing of Hamas.

"Red notices" issued by the Interpol are unlike international arrest warrants. They are intended to notify relevant countries of the necessity to arrest the suspects.

-- NNN-KUNA