Scottish authorities have said that a Libyan man, Abu Agila Masud, who is accused of making the bomb which destroyed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie 34 years ago, is now in United States custody.
The BBC reported on Sunday that the US announced charges against Masud two years ago, alleging that he had played a key role in the bombing on 21 December, 1988.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Masud had been kidnapped by a an armed group in Libya last month, leading to speculation that he was going to be handed over to US authorities to stand trial.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said the families of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing have been told that the suspect, Masud, is in US custody.
“Scottish prosecutors and police, working with UK government and US colleagues, will continue to pursue this investigation, with the sole aim of bringing those who acted along with Al-Megrahi to justice.” BBC reported.
The Lockerbie blast on board the Boeing 747 left 270 people dead. All 259 passengers and crew on board the jumbo jet bound to New York from London died while another 11 people were killed in Lockerbie when wreckage destroyed their homes.
In 2001, Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi was convicted of bombing Pan Am 103 after standing trial at a specially-convened Scottish court in the Netherlands. He was the only man to be convicted over the attack.
Al-Megrahi was jailed for life but was released on compassionate grounds by the Scottish government in 2009 after being diagnosed with cancer. He died in Libya in 2012.
