Developments are moving fast in the case of the murder of 38-year-old British national Elizabeth Jane Ross, whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in Kypseli, after police arrested a 26-year-old Afghan man.

According to reports, the man claimed he found Ross already dead and, in his own words, put her in the suitcase “so I wouldn’t get into trouble,” in order to withdraw money using her bank cards. He had already managed to withdraw €10,000.

A case file has been opened against the 26-year-old for premeditated murder, robbery and breach of firearms legislation.

Searches carried out at his home turned up a replica pistol and a knife, which were seized, and which led to his arrest for a firearms offence.

Police statement on the case

Officers from the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime are thought to have solved the murder of a 38-year-old British national whose body was found inside a suitcase in an abandoned building in the Kypseli area of Athens on Saturday, 18 July 2026.

A 26-year-old foreign national has been identified in connection with the case, with a file opened against him for premeditated murder, robbery and breach of firearms legislation.

According to the case background, the woman’s body was discovered inside a suitcase in an abandoned property in Kypseli around midday on 18 July 2026. The investigation was taken on by the Department for Crimes Against Life and Personal Freedom, under the Sub-Directorate for the Prosecution of Crimes Against Life and Property of the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime.

As part of the initial investigation, specialist officers from the Forensic Investigations Directorate carried out a post-mortem examination and biological testing on the body. Despite advanced decomposition and difficult environmental conditions, they were able to recover usable fingerprints belonging to the victim.

A request was subsequently made through the Interpol Section of the Directorate for International Police Cooperation at Hellenic Police Headquarters, in response to which US authorities confirmed that the fingerprints matched those of a British national.

It was established that the victim had entered Greece on 26 June 2026 and had been staying at a friend’s home in the Piraeus area until 10 July 2026, when she left for an unknown destination within Attica.

Through the subsequent preliminary investigation carried out by the Department for Crimes Against Life and Personal Freedom, drawing on preliminary evidence as well as digital analysis of video footage, investigators established the involvement of the 26-year-old foreign national in the case. He was brought in on Thursday, 30 July 2026, to the headquarters of the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, where he confessed to the offences.

Specifically, it emerged that the Afghan man placed the body in a suitcase and transported it to the abandoned property. In the days that followed, he went on to use the victim’s bank cards to withdraw sums of money.

Searches carried out at his home turned up a replica pistol and a knife, which were seized, leading to his arrest for a firearms offence.

It is noted that throughout the investigation, there was cooperation with a Liaison Officer from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), as well as with Police Scotland.

The arrested man has been brought before the competent prosecutor.