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A woman in South Korea has been arrested over the deaths of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in New Zealand last month, police said.

The 42-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was arrested Thursday by South Korean authorities on a murder arrest warrant at the request of New Zealand police.

The children were found Aug. 11 in Auckland after a family was rifling through the contents of an unclaimed storage locker they had purchased in an online auction the previous week.

Inside suitcases, they found the remains of two “primary school-aged children.”

Police said the children appeared to have been dead “for a number of years,” and had been in the suitcases for some time.

The family who discovered the remains were never suspected of foul play.

A coroner was able to identify the victims but did not disclose their identities.


  A woman in South Korea was arrested for the murder of two children in New Zealand. AP A woman in South Korea was arrested for the murder of two children in New Zealand. AP

  The bodies were found in suitcases inside a Safe Store facility in Papatoetoe. AFP via Getty Images The bodies were found in suitcases inside a Safe Store facility in Papatoetoe. AFP via Getty Images

  Police said the children appeared to have been dead “for a number of years.” AP Police said the children appeared to have been dead “for a number of years.” AP

New Zealand police are working to extradite the suspect back to the country to face murder charges. She will remain in South Korean custody until the application is accepted.

“To have someone in custody overseas within such a short period of time has all been down to the assistance of the Korean authorities and the coordination by our NZ Police Interpol staff,” Detective Inspector Tofilau Fa’amanuia Vaaelua said in a statement.

“This is no easy investigation,” he said last month. “No matter how long, or how many years, you serve and investigate horrific cases like this, it’s never an easy task.”


  New Zealand police are working to extradite the suspect back to the country to face murder charges. via REUTERS New Zealand police are working to extradite the suspect back to the country to face murder charges. via REUTERS
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