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An alleged assassin has been arrested amid claims he advertised himself as a contract killer on Facebook.

Jonathan Giraldo is said to used the alias Tony Garcia and given himself the nickname Anthrax - after the killer disease in an attempt to evade capture.

However, police swooped on the 38-year-old after he reportedly posted genuine photographs and videos of himself posing with weapons and wads of cash.

(Image: Facebook)

In the 'professional background' section of the profile, where Giraldo is accused of calling himself Most Wanted, it said: "On the streets - you learn more than in school."

When police stormed his apartment in Miraflores, an area of Lima, Peru, they claim to have found him updating his profile with further claims of criminal escapades.

He was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and is being held in custody.

Officers said it was unclear whether he was a fantasist or a genuine hitman.

(Image: Facebook)

Police spokesman Leonidas Menendez said: "The truth of it is at the moment we do not know yet if he really is a contract killer or if he is an idiot making up a fantasy life from his bedroom, but we will find out the truth.

"We are currently doing ballistics checks on the weapons and looking at his bank accounts to see if there have been any suspicious payments."

Last week, we told how police arrested suspected hitmen in Colombia amid claims they gunned down four children after being paid to kill their parents.