A woman was arrested in South Korea in connection with the murders of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in south Auckland.
Thursday, South Korean officials apprehended the 42-year-old woman on an arrest order issued by New Zealand Police.
The arrest comes one month after the corpses of the children were found in suitcases at a Manurewa storage facility by an Auckland family on August 11.
‘NZ Police have applied to have her extradited back to New Zealand to face the charges and have requested she remain in custody whilst awaiting the completion of the extradition process,’ Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said.
‘In the meantime, there is a number of inquiries to be completed both in New Zealand and overseas.’
Investigators also acknowledged the ongoing assistance of South Korean authorities.
‘Police would also like to acknowledge the overwhelming support from the public since the commencement of a very challenging investigation,’ a statement read.
‘To have someone in custody overseas within such a short period of time has all been down to the assistance of the Korean authorities and the co-ordination by our NZ Police Interpol staff.’
‘As the matter is now before the Court, Police are not in a position to make any further comment.’
The gruesome discovery of the boy and girl, believed to have been between five and ten years old when they died four years prior to their discovery on August 11. The news made international headlines.
A family that won an auction for the contents of a storage unit from Safe Store Papatoetoe discovered the corpses inside two bags of comparable size when they were delivered to their Clendon Park residence.
The family that opened the baggage is not suspected.
The father of the children discovered decaying in unclaimed bags acquired at auction died of cancer before his wife went for South Korea, it was learned yesterday.
The pair, whose South Korean origins were verified by the authorities, married in New Zealand.