COPENHAGEN - The main suspect in a Danish dividend tax fraud case, Sanjay Shah, has been arrested in Dubai, Denmark's justice ministry said on Friday, adding it hoped to get the Briton extradited for prosecution in Denmark.

The arrest was made possible after the Nordic country in March signed a general extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates which it said it would use to seek custody of Shah.

Shah has been charged with defrauding Danish tax authorities of more than 9 billion Danish crowns ($1 billion) in dividend trading schemes, according to public broadcaster DR.

"We will push for an extradition as soon as possible," said Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod in a tweet.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach Shah's spokesperson for a comment. He has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Dubai Police confirmed the arrest in a tweet on Friday, in which it said the aim was to extradite Shah for prosecution in Denmark.

(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, Additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Dubai Editing by Terje Solsvik and Mark Potter)