French police officials confirmed on Monday that a 54-year-old man was arrested in England for alleged connections with his brother and three other peoples' murders in the French Alps.
Saad al-Hilli and his wife Iqbal, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf and French bicyclist Sylvain Mollier were shot execution style on September 5 of last year, according to the BBC, while they were on vacation near the Alps, at Lake Annecy.
Law enforcement officials took Saad's brother Zaid al-Hilli into custody from an address in Chessington, Surrey. Zaid denied his involvement in the deaths, as well as any disagreement between him and his brother, prior to his arrest.
Two judges are currently looking into outgoing and incoming phone calls made from Zaid al-Hilli's home during the three-week window of time before the family left for their vacation.
According to BBC's Christian Fraser, officials have had a hard time getting a hold of Zaid.
"The French investigators have expressed frustrations since last year that they have not been able to interview Zaid as a suspect," he said. "They did visit him in March but he was interviewed on that occasion only as a witness. Today's pre-arranged arrest is presumably an opportunity to put some of the unanswered questions, under caution."
He also mentioned that French gendarmes went to Britain, but will not participate in interviews. Although the Surrey police will submit questions for Zaid, Fraser reported that other French officials will steer most of the proceedings.
Prosecutor Eric Maillaud, who is based in Annecy, told French news agency AFP that officials had more than enough reasons to take Zaid into custody.
"We need to ask him questions about his schedule, his relationship with his brother and the family inheritance."
Around 100 British and French government officials are currently involved in the investigation of the deaths.
