Suspect in Surrey Six slayings arrested in Philippines

Another suspect in the Surrey Six slayings has been arrested — this one in the Philippines, according to RCMP in B.C.

Homicide investigators in Vancouver say Michael Le is facing a first-degree murder charge and a conspiracy to commit murder charge in connection with the October 2007 slayings.

Le, who is allegedly one of the founding members of the Red Scorpion gang, is the fifth suspected member of the gang to be charged in the death of six men in a Surrey apartment penthouse, according to Cpl. Dale Carr.

Police said Le, who is a Canadian citizen, fled to Vietnam, the country of his birth, to avoid prosecution in the slayings. Officers tracked him down, but he couldn't be extradited to face charges. Investigators then got a tip Le was going to visit the Philippines, which has an extradition treaty with Canada.

Authorities in the Philippines were waiting for Le at the airport in Manila when he arrived on Tuesday evening, and he was arrested. Canadian officials are now working to have him returned to Canada so he can stand trial on the murder charges, said Carr.

The four other men charged in the case are being held in custody in B.C. In April, Dennis Karbovanec, 28, was charged with three counts of second-degree murder and immediately entered a guilty plea on all counts. Cody Ray Haevischer and Matthew James Johnson, both 24, and James Kyle Bacon, 23 are awaiting trial on first-degree murder.

The slayings have been linked to a violent gang war over control of Vancouver's illegal drug trade. Two of the victims are believed to have been innocent bystanders, while the other four were minor players in the drug trade, according to police.