Moncrieff Avenue in Clendon Park, South Auckland
(Picture: Google Maps)Human remains have been found inside a suitcase bought at auction - sparking a police homicide investigation.
The gruesome discovery was made inside luggage that is understood to have been purchased by a family in South Auckland, New Zealand, last week.
The family are said to have unwittingly bought the bag from a local storage facility as part of a trailer-load of “unowned” goods. The human remains were found inside the case as it was unpacked at their home.
Police, including forensics officers, descended on the property in residential Moncrieff Avenue, Clendon Park, on Thursday afternoon and a homicide investigation was launched.
Detectives have confirmed the occupants of the property are not believed to be involved in the incident.
One neighbour told New Zealand media outlet Stuff they had noticed a “wicked smell” in the vicinity of the house on Thursday.
The man, who works in a crematorium, said he recognised it as being the smell of human remains.
“I knew straight away and I thought where is that coming from,” he told Stuff.
Another neighbour told how her son had seen forensics officers take a suitcase from a trailer outside the property, before taking it into a forensics tent.
It is understood the suitcase was purchased from Safe Store Ltd in Papatoetoe, which comprises dozens of storage units for “personal and business” use.
A director of the firm, who did not want to be named, told Stuff it is “co-operating with police”.
A post-mortem examination is being carried out on the remains.
New Zealand police say they are keen to establish the identity of the deceased, but added that “given the nature of the discovery, this might take some time”.
