Suspected cannibal caught at airport with ‘suspicious meat’

Murder suspect arrested at Lisbon Airport.

 

A man has been accused of cannibalism after he was caught passing through an airport carrying a suitcase filled with pieces of “suspicious meat”.

 

Brazilian Begoleã Mendes Fernandes, 26, was arrested at Lisbon Airport after officers detained him shortly after exiting a flight coming from Amsterdam for falsifying documents.

 

However, as authorities searched his belongings and discovered his real identity, he was accused of a much more serious crime.

 

The Portuguese police look to extradite him to the Netherlands, where he is accused of murdering 21-year-old Alan Lopes just a day before fleeing.

 

Lopes was found dead in his North Amsterdam house, where he lived with his family. His sister, Kamila Lopes, told a local news outlet that Fernandes was homeless and sometimes stayed at their home. She also said her brother would give Fernandes money and attempted to help him get back on his feet.

 

A spokesman for the Dutch police said they were only holding the Brazilian as a “suspect of murder or manslaughter” with possible cannibalism charges to come later.

 

“After contact with the authorities of the Netherlands, the country where he resided, it was confirmed that he was wanted on suspicion of committing a crime of murder that occurred on February 26, in Amsterdam, which led the judicial authorities of that country to issue, already yesterday afternoon, a European Arrest Warrant for extradition purposes,” authorities said.

 

Fernandes also allegedly had a bandage and clothing with “traces of blood” in his belongings when arrested at the airport.

 

He had his initial appearance at the Administrative Court of Lisbon last week. He will remain in custody and is expected to be extradited to the Netherlands within 5 days.

 

* This article was originally published here