Five people appeared in a court in Spain on Saturday following the discovery of a body thought to be that of missing Irishman Carl Carr.
Carr (38) was reported missing in September last year after attending a dance event in the Costa Blanca.
Local media reports said police investigating Carr’s disappearance found a body this week.
Court sources confirmed the investigation into his disappearance was now being treated as a murder or homicide.
Four of those who appeared in court; two men and two women, have been remanded in custody following the hearing in the resort of Torrevieja. The alleged offences being investigated are understood to include homicide, withholding information and possession of illegal weapons.
Preliminary court appearances are held in private in Spain and they have not been formally charged.
Under Spanish law their status is that of “being under investigation”. Charges are only entered shorty before a person faces trial.
While the nationalities of those who appeared in court have not been formally confirmed, they are believed to include Irish and British nationals.
A fifth person, a woman, who also appeared in court on Saturday has been released but remains under investigation.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance to the family of an Irish man.
Carr was jailed for eight years in Dublin in 2008 after heroin and cocaine worth €1.43 million was seized.