Mercenaries offer to snatch billionaire's son wanted for murder of Norwegian student

Mercenaries have offered to snatch the prime suspect in the murder of Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen in order to bring him to justice, it was reported today.

Billionaire heir Farooq Abdulhak fled to Yemen on his father's private jet just hours after the 23-year-old was allegedly raped and killed in his Great Portland Street flat in March.

He sought refuge in the country, where his father, Shaher Abdulhak, is one of the most powerful businessmen, as Yemen has no extradition treaty with Britain. Farooq Abdulhak is now officially one of Britain's most wanted men.

Despite Foreign Secretary David Miliband personally intervening, diplomatic efforts to bring him back to Britain have been slow.

Soldiers of fortune have made offers to take Mr Abdulhak from Yemen by force, according to the London Evening Standard.

Sources close to the investigation said a number of former soldiers have said they would be willing - illegally and covertly - to remove Mr Abdulhak from Yemen for up to £1million.

A source said: "Certain military groups are offering their services to grab him for £1million. Highly trained soldiers want to get him because of this horrible example of injustice.

"They have been used in Iraq. They said they are willing to get him and it has taken a lot of talking with them to get them to see it is not the way to go.

"It would have to be very covert and it would be a tremendous political challenge. It would be much better if legal means could cause a breakthrough."

Colonel Knut Hamre, a spokesman for the Norwegian defence forces, said there was no plan to take Abdulhak by force.

He said: "I am absolutely certain the Norwegian Government would never go into that kind of act to get him out."

Murdered Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen (right) photographed with best friend Nina Brantzeg at a friends birthday dinner

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'It is not something we are aware of.'

It is understood that 23-year-old Martine's parents Odd Petter Magnussen and Kristin Vik Ronnaug want Gordon Brown to intervene to try to secure Mr Abdulhak's return to the UK. Friends of the couple said they were fast losing hope that he would ever be brought to justice.

A friend told the Standard: "The Yemen authorities are still holding out and the family can hide behind their constitution. The impression is they will not change their mind despite all the public pressure on them.

"The father pretends there is nothing he can do as his son is a grown-up. It seems he is never going to be extradited for a British trial.

"If they have not succumbed to pressure now, it is not going to happen. How can the world live with the fact some nation's citizens can be above the law?"

Scotland Yard placed Mr Abdulhak on its most-wanted list last month after naming him as their prime suspect in the murder investigation.