Police in Rio de Janeiro have arrested the ex-boyfriend of Cecilia Haddad, over his alleged role in her murder less than three months ago.
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Mario Marcelo Santoro was arrested by homicide investigators at his sister's home in Rio De Janeiro on Saturday night, local time.
Dramatic footage of Mr Santoro's arrest show a media frenzy documenting his arrival at the homicide division, where he was taken by local police after they had issued a warrant for his arrest the day before.
Mr Santoro's arrest comes as police investigators in Brazil reveal Ms Haddad died as a result of being strangled.
A NSW Police spokeswoman confirmed homicide squad detectives would be ready to travel to Brazil as soon as international protocols were met.
"NSW Police Force is continuing to work though Commonwealth processes in order to bring a successful conclusion to their investigation. It is not appropriate for us to comment on diplomatic arrangements," she said.
Mr Santoro is a prime suspect in the murder of Ms Haddad, a Brazilian national herself, whose body was found by kayakers in the Lane Cove River near Woolwich on April 29, the same weekend Mr Santoro, her former live-in lover, flew back to Rio de Janeiro.
It is understood Ms Haddad's family reported her death to the Brazilian Homicide Division in May, prompting a local investigation.
In a statement from the division, translated into English and published by Channel Nine, investigators confirmed they had spoken with relatives of Ms Haddad and analysed documents provided by her family.
While NSW Police have not confirmed the cause of Ms Haddad's death, the translated statement from the Brazilian investigators said it was "possible to evidence the death of the victim by mechanical asphyxia by constriction of the neck."
Homicide detectives in NSW have confirmed Ms Haddad was killed inside her Ryde apartment the day before her body was found in the Lane Cove River.
Last month NSW Police issued a warrant for Mr Santoro's arrest, meaning he would be charged with murder if he was in Australia, however this does not guarantee Brazilian authorities will hand him over to face the charges in Australia.
Despite a formal extradition treaty between Australia and Brazil existing since 1994, the treaty does not apply to Brazilian citizens.
The Brazilian Constitution prohibits the extradition of natural citizens, even for alleged or proven crimes committed abroad.
The warrant in NSW allows the Australian government to negotiate with Brazilian counterparts to bring Mr Santoro to justice over the death of one its own citizens in Australia.
Initial reports suggest Mr Santoro could face up to 15 years in a Brazilian jail for the alleged murder.
Investigators have previously confirmed Ms Haddad had asked Mr Santoro to move out of her Ryde apartment, in Sydney's north-west in the weeks before her death.
Brazilian-born Ms Haddad arrived in Australia more than a decade ago and had moved from Perth to Sydney in 2016 where she worked in mining and logistics.
More to come
