British police arrest man, 34, in connection with human remains found in suitcases

By Niamh Kennedy and Benjamin Brown, CNN

(CNN) — UK police have arrested a 34-year-old man as part of a search to identify those responsible for leaving two suitcases of human remains at a famous bridge in western England earlier this week.

The man was arrested in Bristol and taken into custody during the early hours of Saturday as part of a joint operation between London and local police, London Metropolitan Police said in a statement. He will be transferred to London for questioning later on Saturday, according to the statement.

A 36-year-old man who was arrested in London early Friday over the grisly find at the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol has been released without charge, the Metropolitan Police previously said.

At this stage police are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, the statement added.

Saturday’s arrest was hailed as a “significant development” in the police’s investigation by deputy assistant commissioner Andy Valentine.

Investigations have been underway since the suitcases with human remains were found on the famous bridge in Bristol, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of the capital, on Wednesday.

Officers believe they know the identity of the two male victims, but “formal identification is yet to take place,” they said. Police are trying to locate and inform their next of kin.

Police then found human remains in a west London apartment which they believe are connected to body parts found in Bristol

Valentine said members of the public with concerns are encouraged to speak to officers who are being stationed in the Clifton and Shepherd’s Bush areas over the coming days “to reassure those affected by this tragic incident.”

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