An undisclosed number of remains are believed to have been stored in suitcases auctioned as part of storage unit sale, and brought home by an unsuspecting family after their winning bid.
AFP | | Posted by Yagya Sharma
New Zealand police have begun a homicide investigation after human remains were allegedly found stashed in suitcases that were bought at an auction in the country’s largest city Auckland.
An undisclosed number of remains are believed to have been stored in suitcases auctioned as part of storage unit sale, and brought home by an unsuspecting family after their winning bid.
Also Read| New Zealand welcomes back first cruise ship since Covid-19 pandemic began
Residents at a home in South Auckland called police last Thursday after making the grisly discovery, police official Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua confirmed.
Police do not believe the family were involved in the suspected homicide.
“The priority for police is to confirm the identification of the deceased so that we can establish the full circumstances behind the discovery,” Vaaelua added.
A post-mortem examination was underway and forensic investigators were trying to determine the number of victims, police said.The auctioning of abandoned contents is a common practice for storage units with unpaid bills.
The owner of a storage unit in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, told news website Stuff that the business is cooperating with police in relation to the investigation.
Media outlet Newshub reported that police could be dealing with remains from multiple bodies.Vaaelua added that police believe “there is no immediate risk to the public in regards to this incident”.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Putin slams US for whipping up Asian tensions with Taiwan visit and AUKUS pact
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Tuesday of whipping up tensions in Asia, describing a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a “thoroughly planned provocation”. In a speech to a Moscow security conference, Putin also cited the AUKUS security pact between Australia, Britain and the United States as evidence of Western attempts to build a NATO-style bloc in the Asia-Pacific region.
-
China on Tuesday said the docking of a Chinese missile and spacecraft tracking ship in the southern Sri Lankan port of Hambantota for replenishment will not affect the security interests of any country and should not be “obstructed” by a third party, in an apparent reference to India. The docking of the ship comes a day after India handed over a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft to the Sri Lanka Navy. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin then reiterated the point.
-
China to discourage abortions, aims at boosting the low birth rate
China will discourage abortions and take steps to make fertility treatment more accessible as part of efforts to boost one of the world’s lowest birth rates, its National Health Authority said on Tuesday. China’s fertility rate of 1.16 in 2021 was far below the 2.1 OECD standard for a stable population and among the lowest in the world. Technology such as IVF is typically very expensive in China and not accessible to unmarried women.
-
China won’t be allowed to use Hambantota for ‘military purposes’: Wickremesinghe
Against the backdrop of growing concerns in India over a Chinese surveillance vessel’s visit to Hambantota port, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said China will not be allowed to use the facility for “military purposes”. Both India and the US had expressed concerns about the call by the vessel, used by the People’s Liberation Army to track satellites and ballistic missiles.
-
China warns ‘third parties’ as vessel docks in Sri Lanka amid India’s concerns
Despite concerns from India and the US about its alleged spying activities, Chinese vessel Yuan Wang 5 bristling with antennas and communication gear docked at Sri Lanka’s Chinese-run port of Hambantota on Tuesday. Responding to the latest development, China, without mentioning India or the US, said its scientific research activities are in accordance with international law and should not be interfered with by “third parties”.