Malaysian police were cooperating with their Philippines counterparts to extradite a top Filipino criminal who was arrested in Penang , Philippine Ambassador Jose Brillantes said today.

"There was an arrest. He is one of the 10 most wanted criminals in the Philippines," Brillantes told AFP .

Noel Nericueco, 39, is the alleged leader of a gang that Philippine authorities say carried out several contract killings in the past decade.

He fled the Philippines several years ago.

A top Filipino police officer based in Kuala Lumpur told AFP that Nericueo, who is a fugitive in the Philippines, was arrested by Malaysian police last week in Penang.

"I will be going to Penang to confirm his identity," the official said but added that Nericueco would have to face trial in Malaysia as he was being charged for five counts of cheating Japanese tourists in a card game.

"I hope he can be extradited quickly but we must respect Malaysian law," he said.

A fugitive

The official said Manila had made a request to Malaysian police to extradite Nericueco, adding that the suspect was wanted for a series of murders, swindles and rapes in the Philippines.

"He escaped while being in detention in the Philippines. He is a fugitive," the official said. (AFP)