Brazilians retain Biggs

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 11

Brazilians retain Biggs

(X-Z.P. A.'Reuter—Copyright) RIO DE JANEIRO. February 5. The British train robber, Ronald Biggs, who evaded police for nine years after a prison escape, is still eluding the long arm of Scotland Yard. Biggs, accompanied by his hall-Indian girl friend. Raimunda, was today on his way to a Federal prison in Brasilia after the Brazilian Government refused to permit immediate extradition to Britain.

Instead it signed a decree sentencing him to three months preventive detention. Superintendent Jack Slipper and Sergeant Pet Jones, the two Scotland Yard detectives who arrested Biggs at his hotel in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, meanwhile, were ion board a flight for London, [empty-handed. The Brazilian Government announced the “preventive arrest,” of Biggs “for extradition purposes.” Britain has 60 days to lodge a formal request for his extradition and this will be heard by the Federal Supreme Court. Biggs escaped from Lon-> don’s Wandsworth gaol in 1965 after serving only a few months for his part in the Great Mail Train robbery. The greying 44-year-old [Englishman still has some powerful resources at his dis-1 posal if he decides he does ‘not want to return to Britain after all. If he signs a document that he is the father of a yet unborn Brazilian child—Raimunda says she is pregnant—(his de facto wife may petition a court that he remain in Brazil. Biggs may also decide to. engage a lawyer to fight the extradition on sentimental grounds—“imminent fatherhood,” legal sources said. Even though no extradition treaty exists between the two nations, petition ■would come under a United! Nations resolution urging nations to respect the right of extradition. On previous occasions, Brazil has simply deported wanted criminals as “unidesirable characters” to the nations asking for them. A Government spokesman said that his girl friend’s claim to be pregnant would be considered by the Supreme Court, but would not affect an extradition process. It might, however, have an affect if deportation were considered, he added. Biggs heard the Government decision with a smile and one arm around his girl friend.

The girl, Raimunda Nascimento de Castro, aged 26, has been a constant visitor to his cell and was expected to be able to visit Biggs almost at will while he waits for legal, extradition machinery to grind into motion. As a privileged prisoner, since there is no Brazilian charge against him, Biggs will enjoy a great deal more liberty than back in England where 28 years of prison still wait him. He will be able to receive visitors at his request, have his girl friend with him and send for food he fancies if he can pay for it. On some occasions privileged prisoners are even allowed escorted excursions into town, although Biggs

might be considered too much of an escape expert for this. The sudden change in the attitude of the Brazilian Government took both the Scotland Yard men and British diplomats by surprise. Seats had already been booked for the Scotland Yard men and Biggs on a flight to London last night. The influential daily, "Journal do Brasil,” often a spokesman for the Government policy, said that Brazilian police had been “irritated” by the way the arrest was handled by the Scotland Yard men and British diplomats who tried to get Biggs (out of the country without going through the usual legal ■channels.