British banker arrested over Hong Kong murders

In a statement on Saturday, Hong Kong police said that a 29-year-old foreign man had been detained earlier that day after two women were found dead in an apartment in Wan Chai, a central city district known for its night life.

The man is believed to be Rurik Jutting, a Cambridge University history graduate.

According to reports, the British banker worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch but quit his job around a week ago.

Police in Hong Kong said that the 29-year-old phoned them at around 3.42am (19:42 GMT) on Saturday and asked for them to come to his apartment.

Suitcase

One woman aged 25 to 30 was found lying dead inside the apartment with wounds to her neck and buttock. The body of another woman was later found hidden inside a suitcase on the balcony of the apartment.

It is believed that the women may have been killed days apart.

The South China Morning Post reported that the women were of south east Asian or Asian ethnicity and that the body inside the suitcase was almost decapitated.

A small amount of cocaine was found at the apartment, according to reports.

A spokeswoman for the foreign and commonwealth office in London said: “We can confirm that a British national has been arrested in Hong Kong. We are in touch with the local police and stand ready to provide consular assistance.”