Irishman arrested after discovery of torso inside suitcase dumped in Barcelona rubbish bin

An Irishman has been arrested following the discovery of part of a man’s body inside a suitcase in a street rubbish container in Barcelona.

The unnamed Irishman has been remanded in prison on suspicion of homicide after appearing before a judge in a closed court hearing, it emerged on Tuesday.

The 51-year-old was held along with a second man described as a Ukrainian in connection with the find. The second man has been released on bail.

It is understood the victim is a German man who was renting rooms to the two individuals who were being questioned by police.

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The remains of the man, named as Alex, were found inside the suitcase in a rubbish container in the centre of Barcelona near to the apartment, on the corners of Avenida Roma and Calle Casanova. The victim’s torso is the only part of his body found so far.

Detectives are said to have discovered the victim’s blood at the flat during a search as well as evidence pointing towards him being dismembered at the address.

Police made the discovery last Tuesday but the suspects were not taken to court until Monday following their arrests on Friday and Saturday.

The regional Mossos d’Esquadra police in Barcelona said in a statement confirming the two arrests before the men went to court and it emerged one was an Irish national: “Mossos officers from Barcelona’s Criminal Investigation Division have arrested two men aged 31 and 51 in relation to the discovery of some human remains inside a rubbish container on November 29 on the corners of Casanova Street and Rome Avenue.

“As part of the investigation a home in the city of Barcelona was located where possible evidence linking it to a violent death was found.

“The two detainees have been handed over to a judge for further questioning.”

CCTV cameras are said to have played a vital role in the arrest of the Irishman. It was not immediately clear on Tuesday how long he had been living in Spain and what the motive for the killing could have been.

More to follow.