Lockerbie bombmaker could be caught as Scots forensics make DNA breakthrough
Scientists are now looking at DNA discovered on the Lockerbie bomb suitcase.
The suitcase that hid the Lockerbie bomb has finally given up its DNA secrets, almost four decades after Britain's worst terrorist attack.
Forensic experts in Scotland have extracted genetic material from the lining of the case and an umbrella packed inside it and are now testing it against a Libyan suspect accused of helping blow Pan Am Flight 103 out of the sky.
The bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988, killed 270 people. The plane exploded less than 40 minutes after departing from Heathrow, on a flight bound for New York, reports the Mirror.
Since the attack, the only suspect to have been convicted of the crime is Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer who was jailed for life in 2001.
However, prosecutors maintain he acted with others in carrying out the attack. Megrahi was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds in 2009 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
He lived for another 33 months before he died at his home in Tripoli, aged 60. His release angered many of the American victims' relatives who want to see the next suspect face a US court.
The new evidence could finally link 74-year-old bombmaker Abu Agila Masud to the devastating attack just days before Christmas in 1988. He has been in US custody since December 2022 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Advances in technology have allowed Scottish scientists to gather DNA from the suitcase lining and an umbrella packed into the luggage before the explosion which happened mid air. Investigators believe the bomb was placed inside a radio packed in the suitcase.
Prosecutors are pining their hopes on a new DNA sample that could link Masud. The Sunday Times says it has seen the US court papers which mention the potential breakthrough.
Pan Am Flight 103 was heading from Heathrow to New York's JFK Airport just four days before Christmas in 1988 when it was blown out of the sky above Scotland.
All 259 passengers and crew were killed, including three Irish citizens and 190 Americans. Another 11 people in Lockerbie lost their lives when parts of the plane rained down on the quiet town in Dumfries and Galloway.
Masud wasn't the only suspect. Another Libyan intelligence officer, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, 69, stood trial alongside Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in 2000. While Megrahi was convicted, Fhimah, now 69, walked free. But he's still wanted by US authorities and remains the subject of an active arrest warrant.
Masud's name first came up in the original probe when detectives found the bomb had been hidden in an unaccompanied suitcase that travelled from Malta to Frankfurt, then on to Heathrow, where it was finally loaded onto Flight 103. But at the time, investigators couldn't track him down.
It wasn't until Libya's dictator Colonel Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011 that Masud, known as a bomb -maker for the Libyan External Security Organisation, was finally detained by rebel forces.
He was later extradited to the US, accused of building the device and taking it in a suitcase from Tripoli to Malta. Masud is alleged to have confessed while in custody in Libya, but his legal team claim the statement was extracted under duress and should not be allowed in court.
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Now, a DNA sample recovered from the suitcase and items inside it could hold the key to solving the case once and for all.
US court documents state that forensic scientist Dr Nighean Stevenson 'examined items relating to an umbrella and an item relating to the lining of a suitcase. These items were examined using specialised lighting, and DNA samples were taken from each. The DNA profiles obtained from these items were of varying quality and were generally commensurate with the expectations of these items.'
The document continues: "Analysis of a DNA reference sample relating to the accused nominal (Masud) has yet to be carried out.
'When a DNA profile relating to this individual has been generated, it will thereafter be compared to any suitable DNA profiles which have already been obtained."
Experts believe the same forensic tests could even prove whether Megrahi - the only man ever convicted over the bombing - had handled any of the items hidden in the fatal case.
Key evidence against him in 2001 included the testimony of a Maltese shopkeeper, who claimed Megrahi had purchased various items of clothing, and an umbrella, from his store just days before the atrocity.
In his alleged confession, made in a Libyan jail in 2012, Masud is said to have named both Megrahi and Fhimah as his co-conspirators.
A criminal complaint filed by the FBI states: "Approximately three months after (the bombing), Masud and Fhimah met with the then Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi, and others, who thanked them for carrying out a great national duty against the Americans, and Gadaffi added that the operation was a total success."
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Scientists are now looking at DNA discovered on the Lockerbie bomb suitcase. The suitcase that hid the Lockerbie bomb has finally given up its DNA secrets, almost four decades after Britain's worst terrorist attack. Forensic experts in Scotland have extracted genetic material from the lining of the case and an umbrella packed inside it and are now testing it against a Libyan suspect accused of helping blow Pan Am Flight 103 out of the sky. The bombing of the Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988, killed 270 people. The plane exploded less than 40 minutes after departing from Heathrow, on a flight bound for New York, reports the Mirror. Since the attack, the only suspect to have been convicted of the crime is Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer who was jailed for life in 2001. However, prosecutors maintain he acted with others in carrying out the attack. Megrahi was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds in 2009 after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He lived for another 33 months before he died at his home in Tripoli, aged 60. His release angered many of the American victims' relatives who want to see the next suspect face a US court. The new evidence could finally link 74-year-old bombmaker Abu Agila Masud to the devastating attack just days before Christmas in 1988. He has been in US custody since December 2022 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Advances in technology have allowed Scottish scientists to gather DNA from the suitcase lining and an umbrella packed into the luggage before the explosion which happened mid air. Investigators believe the bomb was placed inside a radio packed in the suitcase. Prosecutors are pining their hopes on a new DNA sample that could link Masud. The Sunday Times says it has seen the US court papers which mention the potential breakthrough. Pan Am Flight 103 was heading from Heathrow to New York's JFK Airport just four days before Christmas in 1988 when it was blown out of the sky above Scotland. All 259 passengers and crew were killed, including three Irish citizens and 190 Americans. Another 11 people in Lockerbie lost their lives when parts of the plane rained down on the quiet town in Dumfries and Galloway. Masud wasn't the only suspect. Another Libyan intelligence officer, Lamin Khalifah Fhimah, 69, stood trial alongside Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in 2000. While Megrahi was convicted, Fhimah, now 69, walked free. But he's still wanted by US authorities and remains the subject of an active arrest warrant. Masud's name first came up in the original probe when detectives found the bomb had been hidden in an unaccompanied suitcase that travelled from Malta to Frankfurt, then on to Heathrow, where it was finally loaded onto Flight 103. But at the time, investigators couldn't track him down. It wasn't until Libya's dictator Colonel Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011 that Masud, known as a bomb -maker for the Libyan External Security Organisation, was finally detained by rebel forces. He was later extradited to the US, accused of building the device and taking it in a suitcase from Tripoli to Malta. Masud is alleged to have confessed while in custody in Libya, but his legal team claim the statement was extracted under duress and should not be allowed in court. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Now, a DNA sample recovered from the suitcase and items inside it could hold the key to solving the case once and for all. US court documents state that forensic scientist Dr Nighean Stevenson 'examined items relating to an umbrella and an item relating to the lining of a suitcase. These items were examined using specialised lighting, and DNA samples were taken from each. The DNA profiles obtained from these items were of varying quality and were generally commensurate with the expectations of these items.' The document continues: "Analysis of a DNA reference sample relating to the accused nominal (Masud) has yet to be carried out. 'When a DNA profile relating to this individual has been generated, it will thereafter be compared to any suitable DNA profiles which have already been obtained." Experts believe the same forensic tests could even prove whether Megrahi - the only man ever convicted over the bombing - had handled any of the items hidden in the fatal case. Key evidence against him in 2001 included the testimony of a Maltese shopkeeper, who claimed Megrahi had purchased various items of clothing, and an umbrella, from his store just days before the atrocity. In his alleged confession, made in a Libyan jail in 2012, Masud is said to have named both Megrahi and Fhimah as his co-conspirators. A criminal complaint filed by the FBI states: "Approximately three months after (the bombing), Masud and Fhimah met with the then Libyan leader, Muammar Gadaffi, and others, who thanked them for carrying out a great national duty against the Americans, and Gadaffi added that the operation was a total success."
