The Metropolitan Police has taken the lead in the manhunt for Hadush Kebatu, a convicted sex offender, believing he remains in London.The transfer of responsibility from essex Police occurred at 11:30hrs today, following confirmation Kebatu boarded a London-bound train from Chelmsford Station at 12:41hrs on friday.
Kebatu, wanted in connection with breaching his notification requirements, poses a risk to the public. His disappearance triggered an urgent search,initially led by Essex Police,but the focus shifted to london as investigators gained confidence he did not leave the capital. The Met Police is deploying specialist teams and analyzing extensive CCTV footage to track his movements.
according to Commander James Conway, “Finding Hadush Kebatu is a top priority.” He confirmed Kebatu disembarked the train at Stratford station and stated, “We are examining CCTV from that area and further afield, including on the transport network, to establish information about his subsequent movements.”
The Met is urging anyone with information regarding Kebatu’s whereabouts to call 999 immediately. Conway added, “We will provide further updates when we can, but I hope the press and the public will understand why it would be unhelpful to the effectiveness of the manhunt if we were to provide a detailed running commentary.”
