Number of suspects in Dubai killing rises to 26

Six more suspects carrying faked British passports were named yesterday as part of the team that assassinated a Hamas leader in Dubai, while the number believed to have taken part in the killing rose to at least 26.

The six were among an additional 15 names made public yesterday by the Dubai authorities. Six people named as suspects carrying UK passports two weeks ago turned out to be British-Israeli dual citizens living in Israel. They had been the victims of identity theft that is widely suspected to have been carried out by the Israeli government.

There was more identity theft this time. Philip Carr, a British-Israeli dual national, told The Independent last night that with apart from his picture, all other details released by the Dubai authorities matched his passport "which is with me and has been with me".

Mr Carr, 36, who was born in North Yorkshire and now lives in Israel, said that he had only used the passport once, to travel to the UK on a business trip three years ago. "I don't think I ever presented the passport to anyone in Israel because I left and came back to Israel on my Israeli passport in accordance with Israeli law," he said. "It's an uncomfortable feeling, a worrying feeling," he said.

Australian-Israeli dual national Adam Korman, whose name was among the latest suspects, was located yesterday in Tel Aviv. "It is a disgrace that this is how they steal the names and identities of normal people," he was quoted as telling Israel's Y-net news agency, adding that he had never been to Dubai.

Suspects bearing French and Irish passports were also named by the Dubai police yesterday. The police said in a statement that some of the new suspects were part of the "logistic support and preparations" for the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a member of Hamas's politburo whom the militant group acknowledges was involved in weapons procurement.

Dubai authorities believe Israel's foreign espionage service Mossad was responsible, but the country's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, says there is no evidence that Israel carried out the killing and has rebuffed British and Irish requests to cooperate in the investigation into the passport fraud.

Dubai police say members of the team began scouting missions in Dubai as early as March 2009. They released fresh footage from video surveillance of the new suspects. In one segment a man and a woman are seen entering a hotel lobby, giving the appearance of a young couple on holiday.

The new UK suspects were identified as Daniel Marc Schnur, Gabriella Barney, Roy Allan Cannon, Stephen Keith Drake, Mark Sklur or Sklar, and Philip Carr. Names on Irish passports were given as Ivy Brinton, Chester Halvey and Anna Clasby. Suspects on French passports were David Bernard LaPierre, Melenie Heard and Eric Rassineau. Two other Australian passport-holders were identified as Bruce Joshua Daniel and Nicole Mccabe.