Canada on Tuesday announced the arrest of a Peruvian suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity - the third such arrest since the government issued a list of 30 wanted foreign fugitives.

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Manuel de la Torre Herrera, 57, was taken into custody in the Toronto area and is being held by border patrol agents pending extradition, public safety minister Vic Toews said in a statement.

The government did not explain the crimes allegedly committed by the Peruvian national, but the National Post reported that he was a 14-year veteran of Peru's security forces.

He had been hiding in Canada since the rejection of his request for asylum in 2004, the report said.

Since the publication of the list of wanted war crimes suspects last week, Canadian authorities have arrested a Honduran former soldier, Cristobal Gonzalez-Ramirez, and Pakistani national Arshad Muhammad.

Both stand accused of complicity in war crimes or crimes against humanity.

"Our message is clear; those who are active or complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity can no longer hide in the shadows," Toews said, urging the public to come forward with any information about the wanted suspects.

"It is in all our best interests to find these individuals and to deal with them according to the law and the systems we work hard to protect."