A Colombian businesswoman, wanted in connection with the alleged murder of two schoolgirls using poisoned chocolate, has been arrested in London following a dramatic river standoff.
International Manhunt Ends in West London
Zulma Guzman Castro, aged 54, was apprehended by officers from the National Crime Agency's (NCA) National Extradition Unit in the W10 area of London on Tuesday, January 6. Her arrest concludes an extensive international search initiated by Colombian authorities.
Castro is accused of the murders of 14-year-old Ines de Bedout and 13-year-old Emilia Forero in Bogota, Colombia. The tragic incident occurred on April 13, 2025, when the girls are said to have eaten chocolate raspberries laced with the deadly poison thallium. Both victims died in hospital days later.
A Tense Standoff on Battersea Bridge
The path to Castro's arrest involved a dramatic confrontation. After police tracked her to London, a tense standoff unfolded on Battersea Bridge just before 7am on Tuesday, December 16.
Following lengthy negotiations with specialist officers, Castro jumped into the River Thames. She was rescued from the water approximately ten minutes later and initially detained under the Mental Health Act. She was taken to a secure unit at St Charles Mental Health Hospital in Notting Hill.
Her formal arrest by the NCA occurred on January 6, after doctors approved her discharge from the hospital. She was processed at Islington Police Station before being presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court the same afternoon.
Alleged Motive and Flight to the UK
Colombian police have suggested the alleged poison plot may have been "an act of vengeance" after the father of one of the victims, Ines de Bedout, ended a relationship with Castro. The suspect has denied all allegations.
British authorities were aware of Castro's presence in the UK after flight details revealed she had travelled from Madrid on November 11. A warrant was issued following a formal request for assistance from the Colombian government.
A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency confirmed the arrest, stating Castro is "wanted by the Colombian authorities in relation to murder and attempted murder." The case now proceeds through the UK's extradition legal system.
