A New York police officer was arrested on Wednesday after planning the kidnap, rape, torture and cannibilization of a number of women, the FBI said.

Gilberto Valle, who has been an officer with the NYPD for six years, was detained after the FBI intercepted emails and instant messages showing that he conspired with others to abduct, "cook and eat body parts of a number of women".

The criminal complaint cites numerous emails and instant messages that shed light on macabre planning of torture and cannibalism.

The FBI alleges that Valle, 28, met one of his potential victims for lunch, but did not follow through with the acts discussed in his electronic communications. The complaint shows that Valle was corresponding with two unnamed co-conspirators before his arrest.

In a conversation in July with a person identified in the documents as CC-1, Valle talks about how his oven is "big enough to fit one of these girls if I folded their legs". He goes on to discuss kidnapping a specific woman, telling CC-1 that "her family is out of state".

The pair discuss knocking the victim out using chloroform, before discussing specifics of how to consume the woman.

"It's really hard to dislocate a jaw," CC-1 says. "Also, how would we put her over the fire, spitting kills the girl. Have to put her into a kind of cage. What is your favourite cut of meat?"

Valle responds: "I was thinking of tying her body onto some kind of apparatus ... cook her over a low heat, keep her alive as long as possible." In another exchange he says the victim's "days are numbered", adding: "I love that she is asleep right now not having the slightest clue of what we have planned."

In a February conversation with a different person – named in the FBI report as CC-2 – Valle appears to have a reduced role, discussing how he will kidnap and deliver a woman in exchange for $5,000. Valle appears to suggest that he is hoping to make a career from such activities.

"It is going to be so hard to restrain myself when I knock her out, but I am aspiring to be a professional kidnapper and that's business. But I will really get off on knocking her out, tying up her hands and bare feet and gagging her," Valle said.

"Then she will be stuffed into a large piece of luggage and wheeled out to my van."

CC-2 responded: "Just make sure she doesn't die before I get her."

"She will be alive," Valle wrote. "It's a short drive to you. I think I would rather not get involved in the rape. You paid for her. She is all yours and I don't want to be tempted the next time I abduct a girl."

The conversation records show that Valle's accomplice attempted to barter over price, but the officer stood firm. "Like I said this is very risky and will ruin my life if I am caught," he said.

Mary E Galligan, acting head of the FBI's New York office, said the allegations "need no description from us".

"They speak for themselves. It would be an understatement merely to say Valle's own words and actions were shocking."