Russian held over sex murders

MOSCOW (Reuter) - Police arrested a man alleged to be 'The Boa', who is believed to be responsible for least 10 sex murders in the Moscow region, Izvestia newspaper said yesterday.

A senior investigator at the procurator's office said the first victims, both teenagers, had been sexually assaulted and mutilated in 1986 in the town of Odintsovo, about 25 miles south-west of Moscow. 'At the moment, more than 10 victims of 'The Boa' are named in the investigation list. But the procuracy and police do not rule out the actual number of victims being much greater,' Izvestia said.

The paper said the name of the suspect, a 33-year-old bachelor, and other facts about the case were being kept secret while the investigation was continuing.