A woman in her 60s has been arrested in connection with the search for the rapist and murderer of Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen, who was murdered in London in 2008.

In a’significant development,’ the woman was arrested this morning at an address in Westminster on suspicion of assisting an offender, according to police.

She was arrested and is being held at a police station in central London.

Martine, 23, was murdered on March 14, 2008, after leaving a Mayfair club at 2 a.m. with Farouk Abdulhak.

She had gone out with friends to celebrate the end of her exams.

Her body was discovered in the basement of a property on Great Portland Street, partially covered and surrounded by rubble.

Abdulhak, the son of a billionaire sugar magnate and one of Yemen’s wealthiest men, flew from the UK to Egypt and then to Yemen within hours.

Abdulhak and Ms Magnussen, a Norwegian socialite, both studied international business relations at Regent’s Business School.

The Met Police said in a statement, “Farouk Abdulhak was quickly identified as a suspect in Martine’s murder.” Abdulhak fled the United Kingdom within hours of Martine’s death, first to Egypt and then to Yemen.”

“The arrest marks a significant development in the investigation into the murder of Martine, who was 23 when she was killed on 14 March 2008,” a Met Police spokesperson added.

“Martine’s family has never given up their fight for justice, and in the 14 years since her death, they have campaigned tirelessly to keep her in the public consciousness,” said Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood, who is leading the investigation.

“This latest development has been communicated to Martine’s family.” Though it is a step forward, there is still much more work to be done.

“Most importantly, Farouk Abdulhak should be aware that this matter has not and will not be resolved.

“My team and I will continue to seek justice and use all available means to track him down and bring him back to the UK.”

“His status as a wanted man will remain, and we will not relent in our efforts to bring Martine’s family justice.

“I’m making a direct appeal to Farouk Abdulhak. Return to the United Kingdom. Return to face justice.

“Since Martine’s death, her family has demonstrated true determination, working alongside my investigation team to provide some closure for Martine’s family.”

Odd Petter Magnussen, Martine’s father, called Abdulhak a coward and personally pleaded with him to return.

In an interview last year, he stated: “You can’t hide forever from the oldest and most serious crime known to man – rape and murder of a woman in today’s globalised world.

“I implore you to return to the UK and assist the police in determining what happened to Martine.

“Unless you accept responsibility for your actions, I regard you as a coward.”

Martine’s friends reported her missing to police on March 15, 2008, and police launched an investigation.

Martine had gone to the Maddox nightclub in Mayfair with her friends to celebrate finishing her end-of-term exams; she left them around 02:00hrs on 14 March 2008, in the company of Abdulhak.

Officers conducting a search for her visited the residential block where Abdulhak lived on Great Portland Street in Westminster on March 16, 2008, and discovered her body at around 10:30 a.m.

Attempts had been made to bury her beneath the rubble.

On November 24, 2010, an inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court returned a verdict of unlawful killing.