A unit in a 40-floor apartment block in Wan Chai District yielded on early Saturday morning the bodies of two women, which led to the arrest of a 29-year-old British banker who uses the flat.

Bloomberg named the suspect as Rurik Jutting, said to be an employee of Bank of America Merril Lynch.

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The two female victims were believed to be sex trade workers.

One of the victims, age estimated between 25 and 30, had wounds on her neck and buttock, while the second woman, also with neck injuries, was stuffed inside a suitcase that measures 3.5 by 1.5 feet. The head of the victim inside the luggage was almost decapitated, her hands and legs were tied with ropes and she was naked but wrapped with a towel. The suitcase was on the balcony.

Both victims, discovered hours apart, are of Southeast Asian or Asian origin, and likely murdered several days apart, according to the police report.

What led police to inspect the unit was foul odor emanating from Jutting's flat. "There was a stink in the building like a dead animal ... It was a shock because you would never expect something like this to happen in Hong Kong," The Guardian quoted a resident of the block.

Police said that a knife and a small amount of cocaine was found inside the flat when Jutting was arrested. The apartment block usually has foreigners as tenants.

The UK Foreign Office confirmed the arrest of the Briton in Hong Kong, but gave no further details. Its spokesman said the Foreign Office is liaising with local police and is ready to provide consular assistance to the suspect.

TagsMurder, wan chai district, bank of america merril lynch, sex trade workers