Suspect in 1988 Lockerbie bombing now in U.S. custody

Washington — Authorities in Scotland and the U.S. said Sunday that the Libyan man suspected of making the bomb that destroyed a passenger plane over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 is now in U.S. custody.

A Justice Department spokesman confirmed the U.S. had taken custody of Abu Agila Mohammad Masud, who had been serving a separate sentence in Libya. "He is expected to make his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia," the spokesman said.

Scotland's Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said in a statement: "The families of those killed in the Lockerbie bombing have been told that the suspect Abu Agela Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi is in U.S. custody."