Two Child Bodies Found in Bags in New Zealand... Local Police Request Cooperation from Korea

New Zealand police investigators are examining the scene in Auckland on the 11th (local time) where a child's body was found inside a bag. On the 18th, New Zealand police authorities announced that two children's bodies were discovered in two bags purchased by a family through an online storage auction. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Local police in New Zealand have determined that a woman in her 40s, presumed to be the mother of two child corpses found inside suitcases, is residing in Korea, and have reportedly requested cooperative investigation from Korean police.

On the 23rd, the Korean National Police Agency announced that they received a request from New Zealand police to confirm whether the woman is in Korea. According to the police, the woman had previously acquired New Zealand citizenship and renounced her Korean nationality. Although there is a record of her entering Korea in 2018, there is no record of her departure, so it is presumed that she is currently staying in Korea. New Zealand police believe the woman is the mother of the deceased children and are pursuing her whereabouts.

Korean police plan to actively cooperate in confirming the woman’s residence if New Zealand police request a red notice from Interpol based on an arrest warrant issued for the woman on charges of serious crimes such as murder. The police explained that although they cannot arrest the woman solely based on the red notice, they can deport her forcibly or extradite her through judicial review if the New Zealand government requests extradition.

However, the police added that if the deceased children are confirmed to have Korean nationality, they can initiate a direct investigation. A police official stated, "If Korea is involved as the perpetrator, victim, or the location of the crime, investigative authority is triggered," adding, "Although the identities of the two child corpses are not yet clearly established, the possibility of starting an investigation remains open."

Earlier, major foreign media including local New Zealand outlets reported on the 11th that two severely decomposed child corpses were found inside two suitcases purchased through an online auction by a family living in the southern Auckland area. New Zealand police analyzed that the corpses, estimated to be between 5 and 10 years old at the time of death, had been stored in the suitcases for at least 3 to 4 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.