Spanish police reportedly closing in on fugitive Nazi doctor
{{date|October 16, 2005}}

Spanish police believe they are close to capturing [[w:Aribert Heim|Aribert Heim]], the 91-year-old known as "Dr. Death".  Dr. Heim, described by ''[[w:The Times|The Times]]'' as "the most wanted Nazi still believed to be alive", is thought to be living in the town of [[w:Palafrugell|Palafrugell]] in the [[w:Costa Brava|Costa Brava]] area of Spain. 

Heim worked as a doctor in a number of Nazi Germany concentration camps ([[w:Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp|Mauthausen]], [[w:Sachsenhausen concentration camp|Sachsenhausen]] and [[w:Buchenwald|Buchenwald]]) carrying out a series of experiments on the camp's Jewish inmates. His experiments reportedly included operating on a patient without anaesthetic to see how much pain a human being could endure, and injecting petrol into the bloodstream, then timing how long it took for the victim to die. Hundreds of people are believed to have died as a result of these experiments.

''The Times'' reports that Heim led a normal civilian life after the end of the Second World War, but fled Germany in 1962, when the authorities were about to issue a warrant for his arrest. Nazi hunters, including researchers from the [[w:Simon Wiesenthal Center|Simon Wiesenthal Center]], have been looking for him ever since. The center's founder, [[w:Simon Wiesenthal|Simon Wiesenthal]], was himself active in pursuing Heim prior to his death last month.

German police received a tip six weeks ago by an Israeli citizen who met a man in [[w:Ibiza|Ibiza]] with characteristics similar to Heim. The police acknowledged the information was helpful. Other evidence pointing the trail to Palafrugell involve banking transfers and tax filings.

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1827007,00.html
|title=Nazi hunters close in at last on the torturer they call El Banderillo
|author=Ben Macintyre
|pub=The Times
|date=October 15, 2005}}
<!-- Hint: If you are citing BBC News, leave the author blank and put "BBC News" in the "pub" parameter. -->

*{{source|url=http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=2096702005
|title=Nazi doctor faces arrest
|author=The Scotsman
|pub=The Scotsman
|date=October 16, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/635024.html 
|title=Spanish police locate Nazi `Dr. Death' hideout
|author=Yossi Melman and Amiram Barkat
|pub=Haaretz
|date=October 16, 2005}} ''subscription''

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[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Spain]]
[[Category:Europe]]

[[fr:La police espagnole se prépare à arrêter un « médecin » Nazi]]
Spanish police believe they are close to capturing Aribert Heim, the 91-year-old known as "Dr. Death".  Dr. Heim, described by The Times as "the most wanted Nazi still believed to be alive", is thought to be living in the town of Palafrugell in the Costa Brava area of Spain. 

Heim worked as a doctor in a number of Nazi Germany concentration camps (Mauthausen, Sachsenhausen and Buchenwald) carrying out a series of experiments on the camp's Jewish inmates. His experiments reportedly included operating on a patient without anaesthetic to see how much pain a human being could endure, and injecting petrol into the bloodstream, then timing how long it took for the victim to die. Hundreds of people are believed to have died as a result of these experiments.

The Times reports that Heim led a normal civilian life after the end of the Second World War, but fled Germany in 1962, when the authorities were about to issue a warrant for his arrest. Nazi hunters, including researchers from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, have been looking for him ever since. The center's founder, Simon Wiesenthal, was himself active in pursuing Heim prior to his death last month.

German police received a tip six weeks ago by an Israeli citizen who met a man in Ibiza with characteristics similar to Heim. The police acknowledged the information was helpful. Other evidence pointing the trail to Palafrugell involve banking transfers and tax filings.

*

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