In a joint operation involving agents of Egypt’s Bureau of criminal investigations, its national security forces and office of security headquarters, the chief suspect in the brutal killing of Hassan Shehata was taken into custody.

According to local Egyptian media outlets and Internet news sites, the suspect, identified as 40-year-old Hamdi Mohamed Borek al-Qalaawi, was caught on Thursday while hiding near the city of Matrouh and just before attempting to flee to Libya.

The suspect was arrested at a checkpoint 8 km away from Matrouh governorate, near the Egyptian border with Libya, a security source said.

According to the case papers cited in Egyptian press reports, Borek confessed that he was illegally heading to Libya to avoid arrest by police.

On June 23, 2013 four Shia Muslims were beaten and tortured to death in a brutal mob attack by radical Salafi elements in Egypt’s Abu Numros village in Giza while celebrating a religious event.

The Shia population in Egypt is estimated at three million.

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