Interpol notified of prime suspect’s alias

AMMAN — Police said Thursday that the international Interpol had been notified of an alias used by the main suspect in the illegal tobacco manufacturing and trademark faking case. 

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted police spokesperson, Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi, as saying that investigations had revealed that the suspect had previously changed his name from Awni Youssef Mutee Issa to Awni Youssef Mutee Ahmad, before returning to use the original name in 2010.  

The alias will not appear on the website of the Interpol, Sartawi said, but will be documented with the organisation and circulated among the world’s police stations to ensure that the suspect would not use the alias to evade arrest. 

The Interpol on Monday issued an International Red Notice against the man, who is locally known as Awni Mutee, a businessman who reportedly fled the country to Lebanon in July, one day ahead of a crackdown on an alleged illegal tobacco manufacturing and smuggling factory.

Mutee is wanted on six charges, including carrying out endangerment acts on public safety and security, carrying out acts that would change the country’s economic entity or endangers the society basic conditions, according to the Interpol red notice.

Other charges added to the Red Notice include joint customs evasion which is described as an economic crime, joint cheat on goods quality, joint general sales tax evasion and money laundering.