A New Zealand family bought the suitcases when the contents of a storage locker were being auctioned off. EPA
A New Zealand family bought the suitcases when the contents of a storage locker were being auctioned off. EPA
A New Zealand family bought the suitcases when the contents of a storage locker were being auctioned off. EPA
A New Zealand family bought the suitcases when the contents of a storage locker were being auctioned off. EPA

Human remains found in suitcases sold at New Zealand auction


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New Zealand police have begun a homicide investigation after human remains were found stashed in suitcases that were bought at an auction in the country's largest city, Auckland.

The undisclosed remains are believed to have been stored in suitcases auctioned as part of a storage unit sale, and taken home by an unsuspecting family after their winning bid.

Residents at a home in South Auckland called police last Thursday after making the grisly discovery, police official Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said.

Police do not believe the family were involved in the suspected homicide.

"The priority for police is to confirm the identification of the deceased so that we can establish the full circumstances behind the discovery," Mr Vaaelua said.

A post-mortem examination was under way and forensic investigators were trying to determine the number of victims, police said.

The auctioning of abandoned contents is a common practice for storage units with unpaid bills.

The owner of a storage unit in Papatoetoe, South Auckland, told news website Stuff that the business is co-operating with police in relation to the investigation.

Media outlet Newshub reported that police could be dealing with remains from several bodies.

"I feel sorry for the family because they've got nothing to do with it. And whoever did do it, come on, front up. It's a bit unfair, bro," a neighbour of the family, Shelton Honana, told Newshub.

Other neighbours told the New Zealand Herald that they could smell the trailer the family brought back from the auction.

Mr Vaaelua said that police believe "there is no immediate risk to the public in regards to this incident".

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

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TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

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Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
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  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

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Updated: August 16, 2022, 3:19 PM