Update: Israeli-American murder suspect to be extradited to Taiwan tonight: reports

更新報導：以色列─美國凶嫌今晚將遣返台灣

Israeli-American murder suspect to be extradited from Philippines to Taiwan tonight, according to local media reports


Update: 09/17 7:00 p.m. – Mayer arrived in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport under heavy guard by police.

Update: 09/17 6:00 p.m. - Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CEB) has confirmed that Oren Shlomo Mayer is being extradited from the Philippines to Taiwan tonight.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An Israeli-American who is suspected of being involved in the grisly murder and dismemberment of a Canadian English teacher in New Taipei last month is being extradited from the Philippines to Taiwan tonight (Sept. 17), according to local media reports.

A 37-year-old Israeli-American tattoo artist named Oren Shlomo Mayer, also known as "Oz Diamond," who is suspected of murdering Canadian English teacher Ryan Sanjay Ramgahan late last month and was arrested earlier this month in the Philippines, is to be extradited to Taiwan today, reported China Times and Liberty Times. When questioned by Taiwan News, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) confirmed that Mayer would indeed be extradited today and that he would arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 7 p.m. this evening.


Mayer (right). (Photo by CIB)

Philippine National Police (PNP) and Taiwan's CIB have reportedly come to an agreement to have Mayer extradited today at 7 p.m., according to China Times. Reports state that after arriving in Taipei this evening, Mayer will then be taken to the CIB for questioning before being transferred to the New Taipei City Prosecutor's Office.

The extradition of Mayer means that the Israeli Foreign Ministry had decided to not become involved in the handling of his case, despite a request from his family to intervene.

After news broke of the discovery of Ramgahan's dismembered body on Aug. 22, Mayer fled Taiwan on a Cebu Airlines Flight 5J-311 bound for Manila at about 2 a.m. on Aug. 25.

Taiwan and the Philippines have an extradition agreement and most recently, on May 23, Taiwanese police arrested Filipino fugitive and former Ozamiz City Councilor Ricardo Parojinog and sent him to the Philippines on July 27. After receiving a request from Taiwan' CIB to find and capture Mayer, the PNP put together a taskforce to begin a manhunt.

On Aug. 29, it was reported that Philippine police managed to pinpoint the hotel where Mayer was staying and had tailed him after he fled by bus, but lost track of him once he transferred to a Manila Metro Rail Transit System train.


Mayer (Center) on day he was captured in Philippines. (Image from PNP)

Police questioned a Philippine woman who had been seen on surveillance footage to be frequently visiting Mayer at the hotel. After ensuring her protection from reprisals from Mayer for turning him in, the woman agreed to cooperate with police and informed them of the next residence he was planning to move to.

On Sept. 5, police raided the apartment Mayer was staying at in Cambridge Village in Cainta, Rizal Province and successfully arrested him. Mayer reportedly told the police that the half a dozen people found inside the apartment with him were from his circle of tattoo friends and were not involved in the murder of Ramgahan.

On Sept. 8, news broke that the U.S. government revoked Mayer's passport, rendering him unable to continue his stay in the Philippines. The Times of Israel also reported that the Israeli Embassy in the Philippines refused a request by Mayer's family to issue him a passport.